


Superfamily one shots and short stories!

by ArwenP



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Avengers Family, Comedy, Domestic Avengers, Drama, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Humor, Multi, Parent Steve Rogers, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Superfamily, Superhusbands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-24 19:47:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 121,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14362350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArwenP/pseuds/ArwenP
Summary: These are a series of one shots and short stories about Superfamily! They don't usually have relation between them, and not in all of them there's the same background. Tony and Peter will most likely be always father-son, because I love that duo way too much.There'll be fluff, and angst, and humor, and overall: superfamily!So, take a look inside! You can also suggest stories/one shots!Give it an opportunity and enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so a few clarifications:
> 
> 1\. In this story, Peter's Tony and Steve's biological son. Don't ask why.
> 
> 2.The world does know Stony have a kid, but the rest is a secret- they don't know about the kid's age, nor name. 
> 
> 3.Also, Superfamily!With basically all of the Avengers. 
> 
> 4.Oh, and Bucky and Tony have resolved their shit already, okay? No hard feelings

Peter was pretty much screwed. So freaking screwed. 

The first sign that yelled it was a bad idea to go to Oscorp was actually his dad, Tony Stark. He complained about his field trip for _days,_ making everyone in the tower want to kill him (well, more than usual). Only his Pops was able to calm him down, and, to be honest, Peter doesn’t even want to know _how._

But, well, in the end Tony gave his permission and let Peter go to Oscorp. He actually had a good time, chatting excitedly with Ned all the way, both seated as far as they could from Flash in the bus. Michelle was seated one rowbehind, but didn’t pay much attention to them (not big surprise, there). 

And yeah, sure: Peter was used to amazing technology. Hell, his _father_ was _Tony Stark._ He was not the one to constantly brag about it, but having the genius as his Dad came with a lot of perks. Still, he was truly excited to go to Oscorp. His dad hated the company so much that he never saw their designs as deep as he wanted to. 

Yeah, it seemed like a good field trip. He expected to go there, learn as much as he could, avoid Flash as much as humanly possible (because if he broke another of Peter’s glasses then his parents were going to realise their son wasn’t _that_ clumsy) and then go home and tell his Pops all about it (maybe during dinner- he was sure his Dad was dying to know everything about the labs, even tho he never was going to admit it). That was going to be all.

But then the spider bite happened.

Of course, _of course_ a damn radioactive spider was going to bite him! Just his luck. When he felt the sharp pain Peter didn’t even think about it twice: sure, he was scared of spiders (more than he was willing to admit), but it was not a big deal. And if it went worse then he could perfectly go to his Uncle Bruce (yes, he knew he was not that type of doctor, thank you very much). He was not that lucky, though.

When he came home his dad was in the lab, lost in another sessions of a “level of genius-ness nobody except Bruce or Peter are going to understand”. Peter thought briefly about going down to the lab, but his head was starting to pound with pain, so he decided against it. He called for his father a couple of times, but FRIDAY was quick to tell him he was out with his Uncle Bucky. He ended up passing out could in his bed, only waking up when Steve went to check on him.

"Hey, baby" he whispered, a concerned look on his face, making him look ten years older than he was. Then again, the dude was around one hundred years old, so Peter decided to not think about that ", are you feeling okay?"

"M’fine. What time is it?"

"It’s dinner time, sweetheart. I’ve managed to drag your dad out of his lab to eat something. Are you coming?"

Peter thought about it for what seemed hours (even though it was probably not even half a minute), but decided it was not a good idea. His head was still pounding, and he felt kind of foggy.

"Can I stay in bed?" he asked. The frown on his Pop’s face only got deeper.

"Peter, are you sure you’re okay?"

"I’m perfectly fine, Pops" he said, smiling lazily at him ", just tired".

"Oh" smiled his father, his hands cupping the right side of his face ", the field trip, huh? Too exciting for my baby boy?"

"Not a baby" whispered Peter, more asleep than awake. His father laughed, slowly combing his messy light brown curls.

"Okay, baby boy. I’ll tell your father Oscorp was too amazing for your brain, so you need to sleep. Is that okay?"

"He’ll go nuts".

"So that’s a yes".

"Of course that’s a yes".

Steve laughed again, pressing a kiss against his son’s hairline. He left Peter’s side then, and the teenager closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep again. Not even two minutes later, the presence of someone else was noticeable for him. The smell of motor oil and cologne filled his nostrils.

"Hey, Bambi. Pops told me you’re too tired to come for dinner".

"Mhhm" murmured the teenager, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Did Oscorp traumatise you that much? ‘Cause, I knew it was going to be bad, but…"

"Dad" protested Peter. Tony snickered, and Peter realised he had taken a seat on the right side of the bed. A warm and calloused hand went to comb his hair, copying his Pop’s actions from a few minutes ago.

"You’re sure you’re okay, right?"

"Yes, Dad. M’fine. Just tired".

"Okay, sweetheart. Then I’ll let you sleep".

"Kay".

"Tomorrow morning, if you’re feeling more rested we can go to the lab, what do you say about that? I’ve working on something really cool".

"Sounds good" mumbled the sleeping boy. Tony brushed his fingers across his forehead before pressing a light kiss against his brow.

"Good night, Pete. Love you".

"Love you, too, Dad". 

 

Of course, that night was one of the worst he had experienced in his life. Not even one hour after his dad had left, the pain on his head was almost unbearable. He thought of calling his Uncle, but after seeing what hour it was, he didn’t. FRIDAY asked him if he wanted to call his parents, but then again: he didn’t. His parents were busy all the time, so he hated messing with their sleep. Plus, he was fourteen. He had to be able to solve things like a head ache, not rely on his super-hero parents for it. The pain only grew, and Peter was pretty damn sure he was going to die. But his voice was somewhat gone (maybe the panic he was feeling was keeping him from talking, he didn’t really know). And then… he just fell unconscious. 

When he woke up, things got weirder and weirder. So much he told his Pops Ned had called him to go over for his house, ignoring Tony’s glance of disappointment. Peter was disappointed, too, because he hated loosing lab sessions with him, but he was way too scared to let his parents see something was wrong with him.

He left the Tower, calling Ned to beg for coverage. ( _Dude, you want me to lie to the Avengers? Is that even legal?_ ). It took a while, and a promise of an invitation to one of the Avenger’s movie nights, but his best friend agreed to cover for him. Peter walked trough New York for a while, but he ended up in Queens. Barely realising what he was doing, he knocked on one familiar door.

"Peter?" his Uncle Ben was right in front of him, clearly not knowing if he had to smile or look concerned.

"Hey, Uncle Ben". 

"Hey". 

"Can I… come in?"

"Of course, yeah. Come in. Is everything okay, Peter?"

"Yeah, sure. Super okay. Is May home?"

"She left to buy some groceries a while ago, so she’ll be here any second. Do you need to talk to her?"

Peter bit his bottom lip. Actually, he didn’t even know what he was doing there, but Queens had always had this comforting effect on him, like he was home. Plus, he kind of had a home there. Aunt May was, technically, his birth mother, but he never thought of her as such. She was more like a Fun Aunt. His parents did not have a close relationship with her, but Peter, somehow, stayed close to the brunette, and with her husband, too. Peter went there a lot of days after school, specially if his parents were gone on a mission (which actually happened quite a lot). He didn’t know if Steve and Tony knew about his little visits, but they caused no harm to anyone, so kept making them. May and Ben decided to not have children, but they loved their nephew, Peter. 

"Honey, I’m home!" the voice of his Aunt broke the silence, and Peter let himself smile. He went to hug her, but with his apparently new strength, he doubted for a second "Peter! Sweetie, I didn’t know you were coming". 

"Yeah, well, I was in the neighbourhood".

"Everything okay?" asked May, as concerned as Ben sounded a few minutes ago

"Yeah! I just didn’t see you guys these last few weeks, so I thought I could come by, you know…"

"Of course, hon" she smiled, kissing his cheek lightly. His Uncle smiled warmly at him, and then invited him to watch TV with him. Peter spent the next hours with Ben, soaking in the normality of the situation. With superheroes as parents, he didn’t get it that much. May invited him to stay over for lunch, but he knew he had to go back to the Tower, so he left with the promise of staying over next time. 

 

 

So, apparently, he was a super human, now. Just perfect. 

So far, he could: stick to things (now, _that_ was a discovery), he had sort of a weird super sense (seriously, it was like his senses had been dialled up to eleven. The lighting in his room _hurt)._ He healed fast (he accidentally got a cut from a sheet of paper- because, yes, Peter was that lame- and it healed in barely minutes, not even leaving a scar), and he had super strength.He no longer needed glassed (even though he still used them, too scared to put them apart). After a little research, Peter realised he was now a superhuman. More so: a spider-super-human. SpiderMan (man? boy? kid? nah, SpiderMan sounded way better). 

So, yeah, maybe his dad was right when he said going to Oscorp was a bad idea. But, _come on,_ it was practically impossible to see that one coming. 

His fathers didn’t know it. Peter felt truly bad about not telling them, but he just… couldn’t. His dads were already too stressed with the Avengers, and with SI, and trying to put SHIELD back together… (and his Pops was working on a new exhibition for his art- Peter and Tony were incredibly proud of him). Yeah, the last thing they needed was for their son to tell them he was now a mutant (was he a mutant?) teenager. 

So he kept quiet. He was scared of his powers, too. They were kind of strange. When his parents left for a mission, tho, Peter got curious. The rest of the Avengers had left for the mission, too (apparently it had something to be with an Hydra Base, so everyone was kind of in the edge, specially Bucky). With his parents gone, he went to Tony’s lab, being one of the only people on earth allowed to be there without his Dad. He started messing with his powers, and then something clicked in his mind: he could be a superhero. Couldn’t he? Hell, his parents were superheroes. And he knew their stories: his father was a scrawny kid, just like him, and his dad was a completely different man. They both had something that changed them: Steve, the serum. Tony, Afghanistan. Peter had the radioactive spider bite. 

So he developed a web fluid. It was actually really freaking cool, and really easy to make. He kept all of the data on his own laptop, not wanting his dad to find out about it (even tho he was still away). Because all of his family was going to be away for a while (not weird, actually), and Peter had Happy as his supervisor (no, not Nanny. He was way too old for that), the teenager spend all of his free time on the lab. Before he even truly understood what he was doing, Peter had created a suit of his own. It was not like his dad’s Iron Man. It wasn’t totally like his Pop’s Captain America Outfit (Captain Spangles, his dad would say). It was amazing: red and blue, with a spider on his chest. Because he was the son of a genius, and a genius himself, Peter saw the programming of FRIDAY and tried to put it on his own suit, as well. It wasn’t as good as the Tower A.I (and obviously, she-because it was a she-was years light from the late JARVIS), but Peter was over the moon with her. He decided to name her Karen. 

However, he left the suit on his room. For when he was finished, his family returned, so he left the suit apart. There were more important things. 

Everyone was fine, just tired. His Uncle Bucky was still a little bit perturbed, so he took Peter with him and snuggled up in the Sofa of the main floor, having a Disney marathon that evening. Peter didn’t complain. He had missed his family. And, even though he still went to see Ben and May: the Avengers were truly his home and heart (as much as Queens was his second home).His life got pretty normal after they returned (yeah, he had powers now, but it was easier if he ignored them). He kept the suit on his room and talked to Karen almost daily, but decided to leave the superhero idea a little bit on the side, for the moment. First, telling his parents about his new condition, then superheroing. His life was going amazing…

And then Ben died.

 

Peter was there, that evening. HIs parents were on a mission, all of his family was (except Sam, and Wanda, but they were Upstate), so Peter was spending the day at the Parker’s residence. It was a perfectly normal night, but Peter was a little bit moody. It was unusual in him, but he was getting so feud up with life in general (he was a teenager, he was _allowed to,_ right?). Flash had bothered him to no end that day, his parents had barely been at home that month and he hadn’t talk to them in almost two weeks. They already had missed four Decathlon competitions, as well as at least two parent-teacher talks. Peter understood it was part of their jobs- but he just wanted his parents. Still, explaining that he just wanted his dads to his Uncle and Aunt was kind of humiliating, specially because if his parents weren’t there for him it was not because they didn’t want to: they. were. Freaking. Superheroes.So it was kind of childish to complain about it. 

However, his Uncle seemed to think he was going to be able to get the answers out of Peter. May had decided to let him be, but Ben thought otherwise. He had always been like a parental figure for Peter for when his parents were away, but that didn’t mean he had to tell him his problems. They didn’t concern him.

So he acted like a brat ( _God, he did. He hated himself for that)_ , and they had an argument. Feeling like he could not breathe anymore, Peter knew he had to get out of the apartment. So he left, ignoring how May and Ben were calling after him. He wandered the streets, sometimes running and others walking (even though he was not getting tired, at all), and then… then he found out Ben had gone after him. And a shot. And blood. A lot of blood. And then he was… gone.

Now, he was no stranger to death, sadly. His parents were in a dangerous business, so it was not the first time Peter had seen something like that. But… _it was Ben._

The next few days happened in a blur. He remembered Ned talking to him, but not his words. He remembered hugging May, and the brunette holding onto him like he was her last life-line. He remembered the casket going down, next to the graves of Mary and Richard Parker. He spent a couple of days with May, but then he was back in the Tower. Alone. 

His parents were nowhere to be seen, nor heard of. It wasn’t _that_ weird, not if they were in some secretive super mission or something. And before it hadn’t even bothered Peter, because he actually understood why they did that.He missed them, but he understood. And when they came back he’d hug them and then he’d spend the next days almost glued to them. 

But his Uncle was gone, now. And they were not there. 

Peter did not know if they actually knew about Ben’s passing. Probably not- Happy didn’t know, after all. Even if he did, he didn’t say anything. 

The end of the school year was coming, so Peter decided to study for his final tests. He passed his finals on Top of his class- again, no new of his parents. Ben’s death was still hard, and he spent days and days next to May, both cuddling in the sofa with an old movie playing on the tv. Neither of them listened to a word, tho. They just hold each other and cried in silence. Peter was incredibly grateful she didn’t blame him for her husband’s death. The day she took off her wedding ring they both cried for hours, and then hugged and watched _West Side Story_ with ice-cream. 

Almost two months since Ben died. More than two months since Peter’s dads had hugged their son.

One day, something changed within Peter. Yes,his Aunt did not blame him: but he could’ve done something. He… he was a superhuman, wasn’t he? He was… Spiderman? He had the power to stop things like Ben’s murder from happening again: he had to. Because, if someone could do the things that he could and then they didn’t… well, if something bad happened: it was their fault. That night Peter went out as Spiderman for the first time. 

At first it was kind of amazing even though, because he didn’t really train for anything like it, it was also hard. But, he kept going. He was helping the little guy, he was making a difference, as small as it could seem. Then something he didn’t expect came: nightmares.

He was used to them: his parents and family were Avengers, so he was always scared for them, specially if they were away on a mission. However, the nightmares had changed. 

A lot of nights were about Ben’s death. And not all of the times it was him. Tony, Steve… his parents were the body falling to the ground and bleeding out in Peter’s arms a lot of the times. Sometimes he even saw Happy, Rodhey, Bucky, hell even Bruce, Natasha or Clint… he saw everybody.

There were other scenarios, too. A lot of them had to be with Spiderman. He was a superhero, now: he was going to make some enemies. His family were the Avengers, but, were they going to be safe all of the time? Peter did not want to put them in danger. 

So, two months and a half after his parents left, and almost a month since he truly became Spiderman, Peter made (possibly… well, surely) the worst decision of his life.

It wasn’t _that_ bad, in his head. Firstly, because he was protecting his family. Secondly, because there was no way Pops was going to let him be Spiderman once he found out about it. Thirdly… well, he had to protect May, too. He could not leave her alone.

So he went to visit Fury.

 

It was a low blow. He _knew_ that. He despised himself for his coming actions: but he was going to protect his family. Period. No one was going to die, not like Ben did. 

Fury had spoke to him a few times. Even though he kind of had some fondness towards his parents and respected them, he never liked the idea of them having a child. He said it was way too dangerous, and not safe for the kid. When Peter was starting his teenage years, he spoke to him about it. He told Peter that, if he ever wanted to get out, he just had to tell him. Tony had a lot of connections, but it was about a _child._ If it was Peter’s decision to leave, Tony could not do anything, as much as he wanted to.

The first time he heard Fury talk like that he cried a lot and didn’t talk again to him in almost half a year, and Bucky and Rhodey had to physically restrain Steve and Tony every time Fury was near their son for more than a year. He did talk to Peter about the same thing a few more times, but Peter never told his dads about it. 

"Peter Stark-Rogers… well, can’t say it’s a surprise. I mean, your parents are amazing people, Peter. There’s really few people who I respect more in this goddamn world. But a child? How long it’s been since you last saw them?"

"Two months and a half" murmured Peter.

"Have you talked to them, even?"

"They’re on a mission. And I know they’re okay. If not, you would’ve already told me, Sir". 

"Right. Look, Peter, you realise I’m doing this for you, right?" Peter nodded. Of course he was doing this for him ". Are you sure, son?"

"Yeah" Peter said, barely audible. He felt like garbage, but he was sure. He was cutting ties with his dads. It was easier than it seemed, actually. All he had to do was find another home, and he had one already: May’s. The woman being his birth mother helped, too. She had asked him if he was sure thousands of times, and he assured her he was. He wanted her to be with someone, now that Ben was gone. 

So Fury was cutting all of the custody rights his parents had, and giving them to May. Again, it was far beyond low. Peter was actually shaking at the idea, but he knew it was for the best. He had to do it. 

The whole process did not take too much. It would’ve took so much more if Tony or Steve were around, if they were conscious of what was happening with their child, but they were no aware of any of it. Sooner than he expected, Peter’s custody was May’s.

He moved his things with, actually, Fury’s help. The man seemed torn between a little bit guilty and a victorious, and Peter didn’t even want to think about it. Happy didn’t even realise what was happening, because he was on a full-on marathon of Downton Abbey on his personal floor, and his Aunt Pepper was in Tokyo for some SI meeting. Sam was on a solitary mission and Wanda was still Upstate. 

However, Peter should’ve seen it coming. He had the worst luck in existence, after all. 

He had finished packing everything he wanted to take with him. It wasn’t that much: May’s apartment was little (her new one, the one she had to get once Ben died), and his room didn’t hold too much space (not like he cared about that). Plus, he didn’t want to remember too much of the life he was leaving behind. It was already too hard, he didn’t need memories around him.

He was just getting one last look at the Penthouse- his house, the house he had grew up in-, when the elevator’s doors opened… and his dads exited the device. 

Peter froze in the spot, too surprised to react. No, no, no, _no…_ they weren’t suppose to come home, not yet. They didn’t even know how the mission was doing! And, by the look of Fury’s face, Peter guessed he didn’t know about his fathers’s early return, either.

"Stark, Rogers" Fury said to break the silence. Both men had also stopped, confused as to why the director of SHIELD was in the Penthouse with their fourteen year old son. Their plan was to arrive early (well, arrive without the teenager knowing) as a surprise for Peter. They were planning on spending one night as a family, with the rest of the Avengers (because, after a mission, everybody kind of needed some dosis of Peter and his amazing and loving personality), and they were supposed to go to the Penthousefirst to hug him and attack him with kisses (almost _three_ months without seeing their son. They were going insane without him), not get stopped by that weird vision. 

"Eye Patch" Tony finally said, nodding towards him. He realised his son looked kind of nervous, and so did Steve. Both realised he had grew up. He was a little bit taller, and not so skinny and scrawny anymore. His hair was shorter, too ", nice to see you, I guess. What are you doing in our house? I fear I didn’t send you the email for you to join the pyjama-party. But, I mean, if you do want to, I’m sure as hell Clint will give you an amazing makeover. Maybe a pink patch for your eye? It’ll look amazing, I’m telling you".

"Tony" whispered Steve, lightly brushing his hands in what was a signal of: shut the hell up, something big’s happening right now ". Director, what are you doing in our house? We just came back from a mission, so we want to lay low for a while. At least for a few weeks, if that’s possible".

"You’re the Avengers, Captain. If the people need your to save the world, then the holidays go off the window".

"So, do we need to save the world?" Tony asked "Again?"

"I fear that’s not why I’m here, Stark. Actually, it has something to do with young Peter over here".

The couple looked directly at their son, more confused than before, but the teenager could not look into their eyes.

"Peter?" Steve asked gently " Honey, are you okay?"

"He is" Fury answered for him.

"Har-har-, I think my son has a mouth of his own" Tony snapped, taking one step towards Peter. When his son took one backwards, he frowned ". Peter, what’s going on?"

Peter was finding difficult the simple task of talking. The words were all muffled in his head, and none of them escaped his mouth. Fury, clearly seeing him panicking, decided to help him.

"Stark, Rogers, almost fifteen years ago I talked to you both. I told you what I thought about you two becoming parents. As much as I respect you, as individuals and as a couple, I didn’t, and I still don’t, think you’re truly capable of taking care of a child. Not with your life-styles".

"We’ve been doing a pretty good job, Nick" Steve said, bothered by his words. He knew, he _knew_ it was hard, specially to Peter, but it was worth it. Their little family was everything to him, to them all ". We get you don’t feel specially fond of the idea, but we’re content with it".

"That’s the problem. You’re not. Not all of you, at least" Fury told him. Steve and Tony looked directly at their son again, and Peter bit his cheek to stop himself from crying". I don’t know if you remember what I told young Peter a few years ago".

"We do" Tony said furiously ". Don’t ever think we’ve forget".

"Well, the offer was always there for Peter. He has decided to take it". 

The temperature of the room descended all of the sudden, or at least it seemed like it to Peter. The color of the faces of his parents had totally drained, and Peter’s heart shattered in that very moment. “ _I have to do this”_ he said to himself “. _It’s the best for them, I have to do this, I have to…”._

"Peter" Tony said, and Peter nearly burst crying when he heard how broken his voice sounded ", son, did you…?"

The question was clear and open in the air. Peter took a few deep breaths to brace himself for the next few minutes.

"Yes" he finally said ", I asked Fury for some help".

"What kind of help?" Steve asked. His voice was a mix of anger and pure fear. 

"As of now" Fury said, obviously wanting to take the lead of the conversation ", you both have lost custody rights of Peter".

"What?" they both cried. 

"That’s bullshit" Tony yelled". He’s our son! You can’t take him from us, Fury. Take that off your pirate head".

"I can, and I already did, Stark. Peter himself asked me to do it". 

"That’s bullshit" Tony said again. Peter decided to finally speak. He wanted to be done with it already. May was waiting with ice cream and a ton of movies so they both could cry in peace. 

"It’s not" he finally said ", I’ve already told you. I asked Fury for some help".

"You asked for us to be removed from the custody rights?" Steve asked, incredulously  "You… no, you didn’t".

"I did".

"Why?" his Pops whispered. 

"Because it’s actually not a big difference! I haven’t seen you in three months, for God’s shake! You guys don’t know anything about my life right now. Fury’s right: none of you are prepared to have a child. I was the pet of the family, not the kid".

"Don’t say that" Tony begged ", you know so damn well you’ve never been a “pet”. You’ve always been our son, Peter. Please, you have to realise that".

"I do realise you called me son" Peter said, trying to sound hurt. It was not that hard: he had missed them, and he loved them to death… but Ben had died and they were _not there_. He thought they were both gone, too ". I realise officially I’m not the pet. But for the past three months I’ve been practically living on my own!"

"Peter, we had a mission!" Steve yelled  "It got complicated, we were stuck in a camp for a while and that’s why we didn’t come earlier! Do you really think we were gone for three months willingly? We we’re dying to see you!"

"Pete, son, we understand we’ve done things wrong in the last few months" Tony said ", we’ve barely been at home this year. But you’ve heard your Pops: we’re going to have some weeks of just family time, okay? I know it’s been hard lately, but it’s getting better. Please, I promise". 

Peter shook his head. No: he was not going to stay. He was leaving: dang it, he had to.

"Peter, think about it. Where are you going to live, anyways?" Steve asked.

"Peter has already a new guardian" Fury answered for him, startling Peter. He kind of forgot the super spy was there ". The custody it already theirs". 

Both of his dads looked incredibly pale, and Peter had never seen them looked so honestly broken. It was breaking his own heart.

"Peter, please" Steve begged ", don’t do this".

"Bambi, we promise we can get better. But you’re everything to us" Tony said ", you can’t leave us. Son…"

"I’m sorry" whispered Peter, and then went almost running to the elevator, not even stopping when he was next to them, even as he was dying to. He wanted one more hug from his dads, one more kiss on the forehead, another 'I love you', another 'Baby boy' or 'Bambi'. But that was done. Fury copied his actions, and stepped into the elevator next to him, placing one hand on the teenager’s shoulder. The doors closed, and the last thing Peter saw was the broken glances of his dads. 

"You made the right choice, Peter" Fury said once they were alone, descending to the lobby of the Tower.

"Yeah" Peter whispered. But he wasn’t sure anymore. 

 

 

 

"Hey, aren’t the Superfamily taking a really long time to come?" Clint asked, sprawled on the sofa. Bucky kicked his legs, taking a seat next to him. Natasha plopped in the individual sofa, already changed into some more comfy clothes. 

"It’s been a long time without seeing their son, idiot" she said ", it’s reasonable they’re taking some extra time". 

"Yeah, but they’ve never been like this" Clint kept going, doing huge movements with his arms to try to express himself better ", and I’ve missed the squirt, too".

"Yeah, I’ve missed the little devil" Bucky smiled. He adored his nephew ". So they could rush it".

"Rush what?" Rhodey asked, curious.

"We want the Superhusbands to come with Peter already" Clint answered. 

"Oh, yeah. I’m with you in that one, I miss the little one". 

"Careful" Bruce said, appearing from the kitchen, with some hot tea in his hands ", I want my own dosis of Peter, too".

"Are we talking about the little asshole?" Sam asked, smiling and coming up to them, changed, too. Good old Sam: he had founded them and helped them get out of that stupid place "I miss him. I was in a solo mission for so long, I haven’t seen him in a couple of months". 

The others nodded, also wanting to see the young Stark-Rogers. Gradually, all of the Avengers filled the room. Thor was shoving the pop tarts in his mouth way too fast, Wanda was trying to teach some game to Vision, and the android was far too lost on something else.

"I don’t get it" Clint said ", you’re a computer, basically, right?"

"I’m more complex than that" Vision answered ", but yes, you can compare me to one". 

"Then, why are you not getting the game?" Clint asked. Natasha tilted her head.

"That was… not a horrible question. I’m impressed, Clint".

"I know. I’m awesome".

"Did not say that" the super spy whispered.

"The game is quite simple" Vision answered ", but there’s something weird coming from FRIDAY’s system". 

"You can sense that?" Bucky asked, confused.

"I can sense if something major happens to the A.I of this house. JARVIS still had some protocols, and I guess I can sense things like a major change". 

"Okay, now I’m getting worried" Bucky said ". You know, about Steve and Tony not being here with Bambi".

"Yeah, me too" Sam said ". If robocop senses something’s wrong then maybe we should check it".

They all looked at one another, before Natasha sighed and went to the elevator, the rest of them quickly following her.

"It was not necessary for all of us to go" grumbled Bucky. The elevators in the Tower were big, but they were big guys, in the majority. 

"Shut up, Rapunzel" snapped Sam. 

"I thought I was the fair lady Rapunzel" mumbled Thor, confused. 

"You can be if you want, big guy. I’m fine".

"Thank you, son of Barnes! It feels good to still have that title!"

The rest of the Avengers repressed a laugh, but it didn’t last long. When the elevator’s doors opened at the Penthouse, the sight was heartbreaking. 

Tony and Steve were holding each other like their life was depending on it. Both men were crying- broken sobs that shook their bodies-, and the worst part was that there was no sight of Peter.

"For fucks shake" Bucky said, quickly going over his best friend ". Stevie…?"

"Tony" Rhodey said, copying Bucky. The others were a little slower at reacting at the scene ". Tones, are you okay?"

"Where’s Peter?" Natasha asked, urgently. If he was nowhere to be seen and his dads were crying… well, that was not a good sign.

"He’s gone" Steve whispered ", he’s just… he’s gone".

"What the hell" whispered Sam. Bucky managed to put apart the husbands, grabbing Steve’s chin to make him look up at him.

"What do you mean my nephew is gone?" he asked, his tone icy cold. Peter was in the top of his priority list, even more than Steve. Even Winter had him at the top. Peter was, pretty much, his all. 

"He…" tried to say Tony, but he didn’t have the words.

"FRIDAY" Rhodey said ", what happened? Where’s Peter?"

"Young Peter is not in the Tower" answered the A.I. She seemed almost sad about it.

"Why?" Clint asked, wanting to know what was happening.

"Peter has moved out of here, Hawkeye. He asked for the help of Director Fury to do so".

"Wait a fucking second" Bucky said ". What?"

"Is your son going to live with Fury now?" Thor asked, more than confused ", I don’t get it".

"Me neither" whispered Sam.

"Guys" pushed Natasha ", what’s going on?"

"Guys" Bruce said, stepping in front of the couple ", Steve and Tony are clearly on shock. Let’s let them relax first, okay? Before talking".

The Avengers nodded, still scared for the young kid. Wanda thought about asking Vision about it, but he was not FRIDAY, and he was too focused on Stark, who seemed way too pale to be healthy.

"Do you remember" Tony said, after a few minutes of silence ", a couple of years back… Fury told Peter that, if he ever wanted a way out, he’d give it to him".

"Yeah, that asshole" Bucky said ". Peter’s fine here". 

"Apparently he's not" Steve said ", because he took on the offer. We… we’ve lost the custody rights of Peter. Technically, he’s not ours anymore". 

The Avengers opened their mouths, way too surprised to speak.

"Wait, I don’t get it" Wanda said ", you aren’t his parents anymore?"

"We’re still his parents" Tony said ", and we’ll always be. But, legally, he’s not our responsibility anymore".

"Whose is it, then?" Thor asked.

"We don’t know" Tony answered ". Fury didn’t told us".

"So, where’s Peter?" Vision asked  "Gone with somebody else?"

"He left with Fury" Steve said ", but we don’t know where. Fury said someone has already his guardianship, so…"

"I don’t get it" Natasha said ", you, both of you actually, are two of the most influential people of the planet. How could Fury do this?"

"We were away, Tasha" Tony said ", we didn’t even know this was being done". 

"So what now?" Bruce asked, clearly defeated. The silence was a too powerful answer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're linking this so far, and thankful if you did! On with the part 2! (there's actually one more, more info at the end of the chapter)

"May, I’m leaving!"

"Come back at least twenty minutes before dinner!"

"Sure! Bye, love you!"

"Love you, too! Be careful!"

Peter smiled, putting his mask on and slipping out of his window. Since his Aunt had discovered his, um… little _secret_ things had actually been easier. May understood the kind of food he needed, now, and she always had a first aid kit ready, even if Peter’s bodyhealed the majority of his injuries before going home. 

May knowing also meant she got worried constantly, but that was something he could not change. He was going to get hurt, and that was it. She also put a curfew, but he kind of understood that. Going to high-school with barely two hours of sleep was not the best idea ever.

Her knowing was actually great. He could talk to somebody other than Ned, and May understood if he had to go to fight some bad guys…kind of. 

It had been a while since she found out, and they had fallen into a great routine. It kept everything organised, and only heaven knew how much Peter needed to be organised. His room was a mess most of the days, for example.

Over the two years he had lived with May, the brunette and him had grown closer than they already were. With her husband gone, and with Peter away from his dads (and, _yes,_ he was still hurting all the time about that), they both relied on each other. They were a team.

Life had been kind of good. He was doing really well in high-school, almost going into his senior year. His teachers said with his grades and schools reports, he was going to most likely get into any college he wanted, but Peter was no longer the kid of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. He was under the guardianship of May Parker- he was Peter Parker, now-, and she did not have the money to send him away to MIT, as much as she wanted the best for her nephew. 

He was still best of friends with Ned, and his relationship with Michelle was as weird as it was two years ago, even though it had somewhat evolved. They were definitely friends now, and she actually had helped him a lot when he moved to May’s apartment. However, Peter didn’t know if they were heading towards something more. It was MJ, so… he was pretty sure he was not going to find about it soon.

And then… his dads. His family. Peter thought about them every single day. He missed them so much it physically made him sick. He checked on them each night, and Karen alerted him if some news about them broke. They seemed to be okay, so Peter was happy about that. They didn’t deserve to suffer.

However, Peter noticed they were more private than before. He always thought they would think about having another child after he left, but Tony and Steve refused to do that. Yes, they seemed happy when they were in public, but Peter also knew they probably missed him as much as he missed them. He wanted to go back to them, tell them how much he adored them. He wanted to be with his dad on the lab, working on some secret projects. He wanted to be in the studio with his Pops, watching him paint while he did some homework. He missed them more than anything in his life.

But he _knew_ he was doing the right thing. As the years went by, he acquired some enemies. May was almost in danger a couple of times, but Peter could do something about it in time. He was protecting her, and he was protecting his dads. Plus, he was doing a really great job at defending Queens. He knew he had to keep doing it. He had even helped the Avengers a couple of times, even though he never stayed more than a minute after a battle and never spoke with his real voice. It was the closest he had been to his dads in more than two years, so he loved those rare occasions. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he climbed until he was on the roof, eyeing the city. 

"Good evening, Peter" his A.I came to life, greeting him. 

"Good evening, Karen" the teenager replied, smiling. Karen was _awesome_. She had improved in those two years, so Peter was over the moon with her ". What do you have for me?"

"A robbery two blocks from where you are. Do you want me to send you all the data I’ve recollected about it?"

"Yeah, sounds amazing" Peter said, smiling wider. He loved being Peter (most of the time), but he lived for those hours as Spiderman ". Let’s go stop some criminals, girl".

 

 

"Hey, honey".

"Hi".

Steve sighed, plopping next to Tony, who was sitting on their couch. The engineer threw a arm over his shoulders, and Steve let him pull his body to his chest, closing his eyes with satisfaction when Tony kissed his head with love.

"Did you have a good day?"the genius asked.

"Kind of. I had so many meetings for SHIELD, and the new agents are… kind of naive". 

"So like you in the ’40".

"Idiot" laughed the blond. Tony smiled and hugged him tighter ". I saw Fury today" Steve finally whispered. He did not want to break the peaceful atmosphere that had settled into the Penthouse that evening, but he just had to share that information with his husband. Tony immediately tensed.

The topic of Fury was touchy, to say the least. The director had taken Peter from them and, as much as they tried to get him back or undo what he had done, they were unsuccessful. They hadn’t seen their kid in over two years and, as much as they were learning to live without him, it still killed them. Peter was their light, and without him, they were pretty much lost.

It was that way with the rest of the Avengers, too. They all loved and adored Peter, and with him moving out, it was like the spark that made the Tower alive had left. Peter was the one who could make Natasha smile any time, he was the only one able to calm Bucky down every single time he tried to, he was the one who Bruce trusted to be with on his bad days, a little brother to Sam and Wanda and Thor, a little prankster pal to Clint, he was Rhodey’s favourite nephew… even Vision missed the little one and his constant questions about, well, _everything._

"What did that asshole want?" Tony finally asked. Steve hugged him tighter, placing a hand on his chest to calm him down. The major fear Tony had when they got Peter was to be a bad father, just like Howard. Their son _choosing_ to be away from them had been a huge hit to him, and Steve knew that. And Fury being the one to take Peter away…. yeah, he despised the man. 

"Just bureaucracy, baby. We didn’t talk much".

"Good".

"Good".

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, just snuggling in the sofa of their living room. Steve almost fell asleep with Tony stroking his hair in a calming manner. 

"Do you think he’s okay?" Tony whispered, definitely waking up his husband. Steve bit his bottom lip to stop some fast tears from falling. He hated thinking and talking about Peter… it hurt too much. Neither Tony or him talked about their son that much with other people, because they were always receiving these looks of pity… they sometimes did with their fellow Avengers, but it had become a little bitof a taboo, over time. Now, they only talked about him when they were alone. 

"He was just as smart as you" Steve finally answered ". I’m sure he’s fine".

"I miss him sweetheart. So much it hurts".

"I know, honey. I miss him just as much".

"It’s just… he’s going to be seventeen, soon. He’s for sure getting his driver license, and maybe he wants to ask someone on a date. He’s about to enter his last year of high school, Steve".

"I know. I know".

"He’s… I don’t know, is he going to college? If so, which one?"

"He always wanted to go to MIT".

"I know, baby, but who knows if he’s with someone who can afford it".

Steve sighed again, knowing his husband was right. Fury, somehow, had managed to keep Peter a mystery to them. They didn’t know if he had changed his name, or if he still went to his school, or the people he was living with. Tony had threatened him countless of times, because they _needed_ to know things about their son. Fury just told them every once in a while Peter was okay, but that was all. It killed the superhusbands. 

"Someday" Steve promised ", someday we’re going to see him again. And we’ll tell him how much we miss him, and how much we love him. Even if he doesn’t want to hear us, even if he hates us".

"Yes, honey. We’ll find him. I promise". 

 

A couple of days later, both of the heroes were hanging out with the rest of their team on the comunal floor. They spent a lot of their free time there, their private house being a constant reminder of their missing child. Plus, being with other people kept their heads from overthinking about Peter, most of the times. 

Of course, it was always not that easy. Some days were harder than others. Tony had his days of lab lockdown, days where he did not sleep at all, nor eat. He was almost a zombie each time Steve dragged him out of there, and usually slept twenty hours straight after that. Steve had his own bad days. Some of those he took of his frustration and sadness by punching bags or enemies, and if not, he painted. It was hard, because he kept looking up, hoping to see his son doing homework in the corner, concentrated. Those were really bad days, and they were not getting better, two years after Peter’s departure. 

However, they were happy that specific day. Peter still roamed in their heads, but they were unusually happy. Everyone was in a good mode, and they had decided to watch a movie after dinner. They were arguing to see which movie they were seeing -( _Avatar_ vs a “lame super spy movie” “shut up, Clint”) when the alarms went off.

"Oh, come on" Sam groaned ". Really?"

The rest of the team sighed, but got on their feet and went to see what was happening. Things only got worse from there.

Apparently, the issue was big. Big enough for all of them to be heading towards the main focus of danger. It was way too quiet, and probably they should’ve investigated more, because that big of an alarm was something worth of investigate before going into battle, but that was their first mistake. Their second one was actually getting there.

They parted ways: Natasha, Bucky and Steve were a team. Vision and Sam another, and Tony and Rhodey formed another one. Clint got paired up with Wanda, and Vision was going to wonder into the abandoned building alone. Thor and Bruce were the last ones to be divided, even though Bruce had not hulked out just yet. Even though it was a big danger alert, everything was unusually calm. 

They went in, but, before they even realised it, they were being attacked by a weird force.

"Agh!" Steve yelled, being thrown into the ground "What the hell was that?"

"It seems" Tony’s voice answered, and the blond realised he was incredibly tense "like Chitauri technology".

"That’s impossible!" Clint said "We got rid of it years ago!"

"Did we?" exclaimed Sam, barely missing a shot  "It doesn’t seem like it right now!"

"Where is it even coming from?" Bucky yelled, trying to see the people shooting the weapons.

"I have no idea" Natasha said, trying to dodge another one", but I think it’s Chitauri technology, too". 

Steve cursed under his breath. Fan-fucking-tastic, Chitauri tech. He knew how much Tony hated it, how it put him on the edge. Plus, Clint was right: it was impossible to be it, so why was it? Without the Captain realising it, they all ended up in the same area, being mutual shields for the rest of the members of the team and trying to not be hit by the technology. Before any of them could elaborate a plan of attack, some type of energy surrounded them.

"What the hell is happening right now?" Clint yelled. 

"It seems like we’ve been trapped" Vision replied, far too calm for that specific situation. 

"What?" Steve yelled "How? Why?"

"I don’t know, but it’s getting to FRIDAY" Tony said, frantically ", she can barely function".

"Damn, that’s bad" Bucky said". War Machine?"

"Same" Rhodey said ", this is looking bad, guys".

"No shit" Clint whispered. They all gathered in one big circle in the middle of the force field, trying to see how they could break it.

"Oh, The Avengers" the sudden noise broke their concentration, and they all turned to see a man floating in the air, in from of them. He had big metal wings, and some weird as hell mask ". It’s really nice to see you". 

"Who the hell are you?" Tony asked. 

"Oh, Mr.Stark, I thought you’d recognise me. I brought your plane down, after all".

Tony tried to think about all of the people who had threatened him to take some plane of his company (and even private) down, and finally…

"Toomes" he said ", Adrian Toomes. You’re the asshole that tried to kidnap my plane a couple of years ago".

The rest of the Avengers remembered him, too. He had been a pain in the ass, but they had put him in jail, with the help of one vigilante. 

"Glad you remember me, Stark. And welcome to this little party, everybody". 

"What do you want?" Clint yelled " ‘Cause I thought you were done with pulling this shit up, so why bother us again?"

Toomes laughed, a laugh that unsettled Steve. It seemed so… wrong. 

"You are not my target, Avengers" he said ", you were only the tool I needed to create a perfect trap".

"What do you mean?" Natasha asked  "What tool?"

"He’s using us" Bucky said", but why? For what?"

"Oh, give me some time, Avengers" Toomes said ", he’ll arrive any second, and then I can explain everything". 

"I don’t understand" whispered Clint ". Who else has to come?"

"He said we’re a trap" Tony said ", so that means we’re important for someone to come get us".

"Yeah, SHIELD" Steve said ", but it barely makes sense". 

"Plus" Bucky added "he said a 'he'. As in, only one person". 

"Fury?" Wanda asked, uncertain "He can come to get us, right?"

"He could" Sam agreed ", but why is it a trap for him?"

"If it’s SHIELD" Bruce said, frowning. Apparently, the force forced him to change back to Bruce (and, _thank you,_ Tony, for the indestructible pants. They were a complete blessing) "then they’ll know we’re trapped. So it’s not a surprise to them".

The Avengers remained silent after that, each one of them trying to get out of there. Steve could practically hear his husband thinking. Not even ten minutes after being trapped, Toomes (who had lowered himself to the ground and taken off his mask) smiled.

"Great" he said ". He’s here".

"Who is 'he'?"demanded Tony. He hated not knowing.

"You’ll see".

The Avengers were on the Edge, waiting for that somebody who was getting on that trap because of them. To their surprise, Spiderman came into scene.

It wasn’t like they didn’t know who he was. They had collaborated with him a few times, either when they were getting outnumbered or when the vigilante needed a hand. He seemed like a respetable young man, Steve thought. He was brave, and kind, and he was going to be the best of them all, with time. The blond knew Spiderman had to be roughly twenty-something, so he was still young. Still, even when he was not an Avenger, the kid had an amazing future ahead of him.

However: he didn’t get why them being trapped was important to Spiderman. Yes, they knew each other. Fury was actually really interested in him, said he was a great power to reckon with. He thought Spiderman could be an amazing new member to the team, and everybody kind of agreed with him, but the young vigilante never remained in the site of the battle no longer than to help the civilians. They barely had exchanged some words, as much as Steve liked the young guy. He knew Tony was fond of him, too. But, then again: why was he there?

"Toomes!" he yelled, barely looking at their direction.

"Oh, dear old Spiderman. Such a nice view. Look, I’ve gathered some people to join the party".

Spiderman looked at their direction, and Steve could see how his body tensed.

"What are doing the Avengers here?" he asked, playing clueless. In reality, he was panicking. His dads were right there, and with the Vulture knowing who he really was… dang, Peter _did_ have bad luck.

"C’mon, Spiderboy, you know why they’re here".

Spiderman turned his head to look at Toomes again, not denying it. 

"Does anybody know his real identity?" Clint asked.

"Negative" Vision said.

"Nobody does" Tony whispered ", not even SHIELD".

"What are you doing here, Toomes? I put you in jail myself" scowled the young hero.

"I’m not there, anymore" smiled the villain.

"I see that" Peter replied, slowly walking through the room ", I’m not blind. The question is: how did you manage to escape?"

"You should’ve been more careful, Spider. I still have contacts. They helped me get away, and I knew I had to come to get my revenge".

"Revenge" laughed Spiderman ", what revenge? I saved you from dying two years ago".

"You made me loose my family, stupid boy!" the Vulture yelled  "I haven’t talked to my daughter in over two years. My wife doesn’t want to do anything with me".

"That’s your own fault" replied the vigilante ", not mine".

"Maybe" the man agreed ", but I already told you, hero. I told you if you didn’t leave it alone I was going to get to everyone you loved". 

Spiderman glanced briefly at their direction once again.

"I don’t get it" Bucky said, cocking his head ". I don’t know the punk, how can we be important to him?"

"No idea, Buck" Steve said ", I’m just as lost as you".

"We all are" Tony said, stepping out of his suit. He was getting more and more overwhelmed, and his husband could see that. He went by his side, half hugging him and resting his hand on his waist. Tony leaned towards him, immediately feeling more secure.

"Let them be" Spiderman said, starting them all. The emotions on his voice surprised everyone. He sounded different than he normally did, but that was not surprising. They all knew he used a voice modifier when he was in battle, but that seemed like his actual voice. All of them thought it was kind of familiar, but they could not place it ". Let them go, Toomes, and I swear I’ll stay behind. But leave the Avengers out of this".

"You wish" Toomes said, and just as he was saying it, an explosion was heard. Spiderman immediately got to it, eyeing the damage done to the affected part of the building.

"Stop!" He yelled "You’re just making everything worse than it already is!"

"I don’t care about that, boy. I only want everything you love, gone. And don’t think your Aunt gets out of this".

"Don’t even touch her" Spiderman said aggressively ". And don’t even think about hurting them" he added, pointing to the Avengers ". I already said it, Vulture: let them be". 

"And I already told you, boy: I won’t" he said, and after that he went for the boy. They both started to fight, and Steve fought against the pure instinct of going to help the young hero. Tony seemed to be fighting agains the same thing. However, Spiderman was defending himself quite well. He jumped out of the way and latched himself to one of the walls. Toomes went after him again, but he leaped to the other side of the building in an impressive jump. He kept doing it, until Toomes got a hit. He went through one of the walls in one massive hit, and the Avengers cried out for him. That hit was hard even for the Supersoldiers, so for a little Spider was going to be incredibly bad.

"Come on, please…" whispered Steve. Tony, who at that moment was grabbing his hand, squeezed it. 

"He’ll get up" he said ", he has to".

To their surprise, he did. Spiderman got out of the rubble, brushing his suit.

"Now, _that_ was not nice" he said ", do you happen to know how difficult it is to get this clean? Not cool, man". 

Tony snorted and Steve had to surprise a smile.

"He reminds me of you" he whispered to his husband.

"Great to know you think he’s amazing".

Steve rolled his eyes at him, but kept watching Spiderman.

"You never have enough, do you?" Toomes was saying "Don’t even forget I can destroy your life in a few minutes, boy. Your little miserable life".

"I dare you to try. I won’t make it easy for you".

Toomes laughed, turning to the Avengers. Tony realised Spiderman was still shooting webs, trying to escape the shots the Chitauri weapons had started again to do. 

"Tell me, who I should I kill first?"

"You don’t stand a chance with any of them, Birdman" Spidey said.

"Want to prove it? Maybe I should start with the great Captain America… or even with the Invincible Iron Man".

"Don’t touch them, Toomes, or I swear I’ll end you". 

Toomes laughed, and Steve felt warmness in his heart, even when he didn’t know why that guy was trying so hard to keep them safe. Toomes got another hit at him, breaking one of his webs, but he was fast and shot another one in time.

"Of course, of course. Little Peter doesn’t want his daddies hurt" just as he said that, all of the Avengers drew a sharp breath. Tony and Steve froze, his eyes looking at Spiderman, who had froze, in the middle of the air. He almost fell, but was quick to get on his feet at time. He was visibly tense ". Oh, right… they don’t know, do they?"

"Shut up" snapped the teenager ". Shut up, Vulture".

"I get it, you know. Like, how can you tell your parents you’re not human ,anymore? Not only that: how can you tell them you’re a joke of a mutant?" Peter remained silent. He didn’t want his parents to know about his superhero persona like this. Hell, he didn’t want them to know, period. 

"Spiderman" it was Bucky who found his voice to talk ", is this true? Peter… is it you?"

"I…" Spiderman said "I didn’t want you guys finding out like this". 

So it was true, Steve realised. His son was Spiderman. By the look on his husband’s face, he had realise it was not a joke, too. Their baby boy was a freaking vigilante. Toomes laughed, going to stand a few meters away from Peter. 

"Look how pathetic you all are. You know, Avengers, I’m surprised. You didn’t even know your little boy was a vigilante, yet I discovered it relatively easy. Peter, now you realise why I do what I do, right? People like them" he said, pointing to the Avengers. Peter did not turn around to look at them ", they don’t care about us. We clean their messes, we work for them, it’s thanks to us they get to have their clothes, or their clean cars. But they don’t care about us. The rich and the powerful overlook us, little guys. You’re still young, you know. You didn’t understand then, and you don't understand now how the world works".

"Maybe I don’t understand exactly how the world knows" Peter said ", but I’m not stupid, Toomes. And in these two years I’ve learned some things. Yes, the little guy is alone. And, yeah, we could use a little more help. But, as much as I did the first time I stopped you: I know selling weapons to criminals is _wrong"._

_"_ Are we again discussing the same thing? Tell me, Pete, what did your dad do?" Tony tensed, looking at his only son "How did he make his fortune?"

"Does it matter?" Peter asked "Maybe my dad acted wrong, but that was so many years ago. He redeemed himself, Sir. And someone acting bad does not justify your own actions. You are doing these decisions: you earn them, you make them yours. Don’t even try to justify yourself on my father". 

Tony felt warm. His body ached from being that far away from his son, even if he was only a few meters apart. He wanted to hug him, even if that was the last thing he ever did. Toomes shook his head, laughing dryly. 

"I thought you were smarter than that, Pete. I really did…" he launched himself at him again, and the Avengers cried out for him. But Spiderman avoided him, just like he had done before. However, now Steve and Tony knew they were seeing their son fight (the rest of the Avengers knew they were seeing their freaking nephew go against the Vulture, one to one), and they were on the constant verge of a panic attack. But Peter seemed to hold his own against Toomes, and he leaped and flipped and overall impressed to no beyond his family… that hero was their little Peter? They felt incredibly proud of him. 

The Vulture, however, was not. He kept attacking Peter, but the teenager was faster and stronger than him. He still managed to get a few kicks in, and slammed Peter to the ground, the young superhero screaming loud from the pain that shot from his back. 

"Peter!" both of his parents cried.

"Baby, we’re trying to break this!" Steve yelled "Please hold on!"

"Bambi, you’re doing so good" Tony yelled, too "Keep going!"

The others Avengers were also yelling to cherish Peter, and felt relief when he got up, managing to get a few punches at Toomes, too. As soon as it had all started, Toomes stepped away. He was bloodied and bruised, and Tony and Steve were incredibly sure Peter was going to stop him.

"You know" he said, coughing and spitting some blood ", I thought you’d be smarter, after all of this time, but you’ve always been a pain in the ass. I should’ve checked the collapsed building, to make sure you were done. I would’ve saved a lot of problems".

"And I should’ve kill you in that beach two years ago" Peter snapped, clearly done with Toomes ", or at least let you die".

"Oh, come on, Pete. You’re not that type of person. You don’t kill unless it’s totally necessary".

"Trust me: if you keep doing this, if you cause any harm to any members of my family, I will break the rule with you, Toomes. You don’t mess with my family… you don’t mess with my dads, understood?"

Steve and Tony could barely believe that was their son. He sounded so sure of himself, and he honestly was scary. Toomes just smiled at him, and Tony wanted (for the thousandth time) to break his face.

"You know, Pedro, I thought you’d learned from your mistakes".

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"I mean… after having that building collapse on you… I thought you would be able to see you’ve fell into the same trap" just as he was saying it, various explosions like the first they heard resounded around the building. However, the roof did not fall and Toomes opened his mouth, surprised ". What the hell?"

"You know" Peter said ", you should give me more credit. I’m the son of a genius, after all". 

"What?"

"Did you really think I hadn’t thought about this? Once I arrived I realised what you were planning, Toomes. Specially when I saw you had my family trapped in here. So… I played you" he said, looking up. The rest of the Avengers looked at the ceiling as well and their jaws hanged open when they saw what Peter had done. Without any of them realising, Peter had created a huge web that was holding the ceiling on it’s place. 

"That little asshole" whispered Sam, even though he was smiling widely ". He’s a genius". 

"He has your brains" Bruce said, smiling to Tony ", and definitely your comebacks". 

"True" Steve said, smiling. 

"You’re not getting away with it, Pedro" Toomes said, and then he took on flying, definitely damaging some of the webs.

"Dude, seriously?" Peter asked, frustrated. He tried to stop him, but the Vulture had already damaged part of the building ". You’re _really_ getting on my nerves, now". 

"Fuck" whispered Bucky ", this is not good".

"Come on, we have to try to break this" Steve said ". We have to help Peter and then get out of here".

"Yeah, that’s a good idea" Natasha said.

They all started working on it. Peter had managed to get close to Toomes once again.

"Karen!" he yelled. The Avengers looked around, not knowing who he was talking to "Taser Web!" he shot a web that, when connected to Toomes, shocked him and made him fall to the floor. Before he got the chance to get up, Peter had webbed him to the ground. The man was unconscious, FRIDAY confirmed Tony (so did Karen, with Peter). The superhusbands were about to congratulate his son when the entire building trembled.

"Crap, the estructure seems to be really damaged" Clint mumbled.

"No, no, no, no" Peter cried ". Karen, what’s the state of the building?"

"The explosions caused by the Chitauri technology have damaged severe points of the estructure" The Avengers heard, a weird voice coming out from Peter’s suit ". Imminent demolition of the building is about to happen, Peter".

"Crap" he cursed ". Okay, how are the webs holding up?"

"You’ve covered 98% percent of the damage, but it is decreasing due to Vulture’s hits".

"Okay, can you scan the estructure of the building for me? Display it and tell me the weak spots".

"On it" the voice said. Tony thought it sounded way too much like an AI. It kind of reminded him of FRIDAY. His son started to try to reinforce the ceiling, who was slowly breaking more and more. 

"Karen, what about the force camp? I need to break it!" he yelled, growing more desperate as the minutes went by. Toomes was taken care of, but his family was still trapped, and the building was going down. His webs were only slowing it down, but not for so much long.

"The Chitauri tech Adrian Toomes used was weak, compared to the one he used two years ago" she said ", and he used a big part to put all of the explosives". 

"Okay, so how do I break the force?" Karen was in silence for a few seconds, in which Peter kept working on the ceiling.

"The main power that keeps the force working is being controlled by Toomes, I sense. He has a device that is being kept on his jacket. You just have to destroy it".

"Okay, well, he’s webbed up right now, so getting to his jacket is kind of difficult. Any other options?"

"You can shock it. With electricity it’ll be override, and the force will be down".

"Okay, got it. Taser web, Karen!"

"Great choice!"

Peter shot another taser web to Toomes, this time directly to his jacket. He shot a few more, and suddenly they heard a crack, and some smoke appeared. Only five seconds after, the force was down. But before any of them could go help Peter, the building gave signals of starting to collapse, for real. 

"Shit!" Peter yelled "Guys, the building is not going to hold on too much longer! I need you all to get out!"

"Are you freaking crazy?!" Tony yelled "We’re not leaving you here, son!"

"Just go!" yelled Peter "I know what I’m doing!"

"Peter, let us help!" Steve said "Let me hold the ceiling with you!"

"Pops, please, go!" he yelled, and Steve froze for a moment after hearing Peter talking directly to him andsaying 'Pops' after two long years of not doing so "I’m stronger than you, and I know what I’m doing!" Steve had to admit his son actually knew it. He was still shooting webs, being a flash of blue and red. His voice was still, though ". Please, go! If you guys are in here then you’ll be crushed by the debris!"

"But…"Tony tried to say.

"Dad, please, stop complaining! Go!"

Tony felt like he couldn’t move. Even as he knew his son was right, even if he knew he had to leave… he just couldn’t. His son was there: his son was barely managing to keep the building together.

"Tony, he’s right" Rhodey said, to his left ". We have to go. He knows what he’s doing, and his webs are holding this pretty neatly. We have to get out before it gets worse".

Tony nodded, not taking his gaze away from his son. He let Rhodey take him away from Peter, and saw how Bucky and Sam did the same with Steve. The rest of the Avengers also rushed to the exit, getting out of the buildings two minutes later. 

"FRIDAY! Girl, are you with me?" Tony asked the moment he was out of there, still running with everybody else to get as faraway as possible from the building

"I’m here, boss".

"How much time until the building gives out?"

"The building seems to be collapsing right now, Boss. The web young boss created has helped into restraining it, but it is going to happen any moment, now".

"Toomes" Wanda said, once they had stopped running  "he’s still inside, he’ll be crushed".

"So is Peter" Clint snarled ", he’s still in there, too". 

"Peter can escape" Wanda insisted ", Toomes was unconscious. He’s going to die".

"Well, he has tried to kill Peter, and apparently multiple times" Tony said ", so I’m not against that idea".

"Yeah, okay, you’re right" Wanda whispered. Steve went to his husband, grabbing his forearm. 

"We have to go help him, Tony".

"You heard him already, Cap. He doesn’t want nor need our help". 

"He’s our son, Tony! We can’t just leave him there!"

"Don’t you think I know that? It’s killing me being right here, just as he is trying to stop a building from collapsing! But you heard him, and I trust him!"

Steve gave him a choked sob, and Tony sighed and hugged him close to his body, hiding his face on the blond’s chest. 

"I’m sorry" whispered the super soldier ", I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled, but I’m so worried about him". 

"I know".

"He’s our baby boy, Tony".

"God, Steve, _I_ know". 

"Peter’s strong" Thor said ", he’s your son, after all".

"I just didn’t think I was going to see him again like this, you know" Steve said ", I never thought he could be a vigilante".

"Steve, honey, it’s okay" Tony said, kissing Steve’s chest to calm him down. However, just as the Captain relaxed he tensed again when the building, now a few of hundred meters away from them, definitely collapsed.

"Holy shit" Sam said, horrified.

"No!" Steve yelled, sounding totally heartbroken.

"Peter! PETER!" Tony furiously screamed, taking off to go to the collapsed building. The rest of them starting running towards there too (Tony, Sam, Rhodey, and Vision flying there). Everyone was yelling his name, desperately wanting to hear a response.

"Son!" Steve was saying "Please! Peter!"

"Bambi, please say something!" Tony yelled, starting to grab some debris to clear the space "FRIDAY, is someone in here?"

"One body is still under the debris: identified as Adrian Toomes. No other bodies under the debris, Sir" she sounded almost cheerful. Tony could understand her. However, that meant Peter was not there. If that was the case, then, where was he?

"Guys! I think he’s over there!" Thor yelled. Everybody went to where he was standing, and saw a red and blue body a few meters away from there. The figure was doubling over the floor, breathing heavily, and, just as they got closer, he took off his mask. All of the Avengers lost their breath, once again.

Peter had grew up: he had loose some of his baby fat. His curls were as messy as ever, in the same light brown they were a couple of years back and he had more mature features, more sharp. He still had the puppy eyes everyone remembered and loved, big and brown. He was breathing with effort, coughing lightly. The young superhero closed his eyes briefly, resting his forehead on the floor and then let himself fall to the ground, turning around and resting on his back.

"Holy shit, that was scary as hell" he mumbled, his left hand going through his hair before it fell to his side.

"Language" Steve whispered, more to himself than out loud. However, Peter picked it up, and his head snapped at them. He quickly got up, mask in hand.

"Oh, um… hi" he said, trying to not sound awkward and terribly failing at that. The Avengers didn’t move, and Peter sighed. He knew it: they were going to be furious with him… and, yeah, he was expecting that, because he had lied to them and acted really wrong, but it still hurt ". Look, I know I screwed up, like, big time. I get it, guys, I truly do. But this…" he said, gesturing to himself ", it’s who I am. I never planned for it, I never asked for it, but it just happened, and I knew, I just _knew_ this is what I was supposed to do. And I’m so sorry, dads, because I know I hurt you, and you guys don’t deserve it. I should’ve been more honest with you both. With you all, actually" he rambled" … but I couldn’t. I was too afraid to do it, I guess. I should’ve told you two years ago, but I didn’t, and I just… I’m so sorry. And I’m sorry Toomes used you guys to get to me. The guy just hates my guts, you know? He threatened me, but I never thought he would go after you guys… it sounded way too stupid" he still rambled, shrugging. The Avengers were still looking at him still ". Anyways, I… I get if you guys hate me, and I respect that. I deserve that, for lying to you all. But, can you not tell anything to Fury? ‘Cause he’s been a pain in the ass lately…" more silence. Peter sighed, and then looked at his parents, his eyes glassy" . I’m sorry. I really, really am. And I hope one day you can… you can forgive me".

It happened before he could even process it. His dads’s arms wrapped around him, holding him in place. Peter could not hold it anymore. The moment he felt the warm bodies of his parents again, the moment the felt that familiarity, he bursted crying in their arms.

"Peter, oh my god…" was whispering Steve" , we don’t hate you".

"Bambi, we adore you, we don’t hate you" Tony said" , we missed you terribly, baby boy".

"I’m sorry" Peter sobbed, holding on to them even tighter" , I’m so sorry. I love you both, I love you so much. I missed and miss you Daddy and Papa…"

Steve and Tony just cried harder, hugging their son as hard as they could without breaking his bones. Finally, after what seemed hours, they broke apart. Steve cupped his son’s face, brushing his tears away and kissing his forehead before resting his own against Peter’s.

"I love you so much, baby boy" he whispered. Peter’s hands grabbed his as he suppressed a sob" . Your Dad and I love you so much. Andthese years without you have been pure hell".

"I’m so sorry Papa" he said. Steve wanted to cry when he heard his son calling him “Papa”, something he hadn’t done much since he stopped being a baby ", I’m really sorry. I did it to protect you, I didn’t want you guys getting hurt".

"Peter" Tony said, making his son and husband break apart. He stepped closer, and this time it was him who cupped Peters face, looking him with with intensity". We’re proud of you, Peter" he said, really serious", we’ve always been, and we’ll always be. I don’t know why you did what you did, not all the reasons, but I’m proud of you. And, fuck, son: we don’t hate you. We’re incapable of doing so, you understand? Your are our child, we cannot hate you. We love you with everything we are, we adore you, Bambi".

"I love you so much Daddy" Peter said, and Tony finally pressed their foreheads together, tangling his fingers into his son’s messy brown curls ", so much".

"I love you too, Peter. So freaking much, son". 

Peter finally broke away from him, smiling through his tears. Just as he released him Bucky launched himself at the teenager, hugging him close and keeping a hand on his nape, caressing his head and petting his soft curls.

"You’re such an idiot" he whispered" , but I missed you so much, punk".

Peter laughed lightly.

"I missed you, too, Uncle Bucky. I love you".

"I love you too, Petey. But next time you pull out something like this, there’s no place on earth you can run away from me, understood?" his nephew nodded and Bucky released him, patting his cheek and kissing his forehead a couple times" Damn it, you’re too much like your Pops. Punk".

Peter laughed again, happy to be reunited with his Uncle. Bruce hugged him after. He just whispered an “I love you” softly, but for Peter was more than enough.

"God, you’re such a little asshole" Sam groaned, pulling him in. Peter laughed and let him hug him, and after him the rest of the Avengers. Just as the last one of them, Wanda, was done, Tony had put an arm around him, Steve quickly doing the same on his other side. 

"Peter" Karen voice suddenly came to life, startling all of the heroes" , incoming call from May Parker. She has already called fifteen times, but I was under the protocol of 'fighting Mr.Criminals', so I didn’t answer. Do I put her through?"

Peter quickly paled.

"Shit" he whispered" , tell her I’m fine and I’ll call her back later" he paused for a moment, and then". Is she mad?"

"You missed your curfew and didn’t answer her phone calls".

"Oh, God, I’m so screwed" he groaned. Karen didn’t answer, but Peter could sense her cheerful silence answer 'I told you so'". Shut up, Karen".

"As you wish, Peter".

"Wait, who is that?" Steve asked" It sounds like some AI".

"It’s because it’s an AI" Peter said", I made her a couple of years back, copying FRIDAY’s programming".

"So, Karen is like FRIDAY’s daughter, isn’t she?" Sam asked, almost laughing.

"God" Clint said", it’s like MTV’s Sixteen and Pregnant". 

"You both just had to make it weird" Natasha said. 

"Peter, even though we’re going to talk about that AI you created" Tony said" , there’s a lot of things we need to discuss".

"I understand" the teenager said, nodding.

"Okay. First of, May Parker… is she your guardian, now?"

"She is" Peter said, nodding" . She has been for the last two years". 

"So you went to her after you left the Penthouse" Steve deduced. His son nodded. 

"Didn’t she gave birth to you, little Peter?" Thor asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, well, technically she did. But I don’t really care about that. She’s… my aunt. Sometimes she’s more like a friend, even". 

"She’s still your guardian" Tony said" , and she’s, I’m sure, worried as hell right now, about you. So you need to call her, first of things". 

"I’d rather go with her" the teenager said, trying to ignore the look of disappointment of his fathers’s faces at him wishing to go away again", with all of these weapons… " he tried to explain" SHIELD will be here soon. And, even though I know I’ll have to tell Fury who Spiderman really is, I… I don’t think I can do it just now".

"We understand" Tony murmured", we truly do, and we respect your decision to…"

"But" Peter interrupted", I was thinking… you could maybe come with me?"

Tony and Steve smiled widely then, nodding so hard Peter feared their heads were going to fell off.

"Can we go, too?" Thor said" I wish to meet the fair lady May Parker to thank her for taking care of you!"

"I mean, I guess you can come" Peter said". She’s going to flip, probably, but sure". 

"Okay" Tony smiled, visibly more happy", then where do we have to go?"

"Queens" Peter answered, smiling widely" , we’re going to Queens". 

 

Peter was over the moon. Yeah, the fight had been hard, and his entire body hurt like hell, and he was emotionally drained and May was probably furious with him right now, but… he had hugged his dads again. He had reunited with his family. Yeah, he didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he was happy to have seen them again. 

He knocked at his and May’s apartment door, all of the Avengers behind him in what he was sure seemed an awkward scene, and almost held his breath while he waited for her to open the door. The moment she did she looked at him like every time he messed up. A little gasp, her eyes hardening and filling with not spilled tears. She turned around and went back into the apartment, leaving the door opened.

"Uh…" Bucky said" is she okay?"

"Yeah, this happens quite a lot, actually" Peter said, stepping inside the apartment. The Avengers looked at each other, not knowing what to do, feeling like they were invading some private moment. 

"Do you even know- May said, knowing Peter was right behind her-, how worried I was about you?"

"May…"

"You missed your curfew!" she yelled, turning around" I called you fifteen times! Fifteen, Peter! I even ringed Ned, your 'Guy in the Chai', and he had not a clue about you! Peter, you can’t do this!"

"May…"

"You can’t just disappear, you understand? I let you do this when I found out about Spiderman only under the promise you made about following the rules we agreed on! You can’t do this, Peter!"

"May!" he finally yelled, shutting her up" I’m fine, okay? I’m fine".

She pressed her lips together.

"What happened this time?"

"Toomes got out. Remember him? Crazy guy with big wings".

"Liz’s dad".

"Yeah" Peter chuckled", Liz’s dad". 

"The one who buried you under a building when you were barely fifteen" Tony opened his mouth, surprised. His husband grabbed his hand and they shared a worried look" . That one".

"Er… yeah?"

"Oh my dear fucking God, Peter" Yes, indeed, Tony thought. Dear fucking God. 

"I know it sounds bad! But I handled it, I promise. He was threatening what I loved, Aunt May, I couldn’t let him win. You know that".

"I do" she sighed, and then hugged him tight. Peter wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her gently and Tony surprised himself himself smiling. His son seemed to have a great person taking care of him in his life, and he was happy about that". At least, are you okay?"

"Yeah" Peter nodded", perfectly fine".

May broke the hug and eyed him suspiciously, clearly not believing him. She took a couple of steps back. 

"Karen" she said", what are his injuries?"

The AI came back to life.

"Peter injured his ribs multiple times during the fight. He had two bruised on his right side and one almost cracked at his left. He sprained his right wrist and took a pretty bad hit at his back. He also had a mild concussion. However, that was more than an hour ago. Now, his concussion is no longer a problem, his wrist is almost healed. Back almost healed as well. His right ribs are not longer bruised, but his left one is, even though it will heal by tomorrow. Estimated time of fully recovery from the fight: six hours, top". 

"Traitor" whispered Peter to Karen.

"A fucking concussion?" he heard, and just then he remembered his parents were also in the room. Well, _fuck"_. Peter, injured ribs? Your wrist? Your _back?"_

"Dad, I…"

"We all saw how he slammed you into the floor, of course you were going to be hurt. Why he fuck you didn’t tell us?" he asked, more calm that he really felt.

"I’m fine! Karen told you, I’ll be fine in a few hours".

"Peter" May said, and the teenager’s attention snapped back to her", am I crazy already or are all of the freaking Avengers in my living room right now?"

Peter rubbed his neck, slightly blushing.

"Yeah, Toomes, er… he took them. He knew they are…"

"Your weak point" she nodded". Well, that… changes some things".

"Aunt May…"

"Do they know why you left yet, Pete?"

"No, not yet…"

"Okay. Then go to your room. Maybe it’s time they know" Peter nodded, looking worried. May smiled warmly at him and went to kiss his head". I’m still super proud of you, okay tough guy? But you need to talk to them".

"I know".

"Then go" she nodded towards the hallway, and Peter went there. The Avengers looked at his direction for a moment, but before they could follow him, Tony stopped before May, Steve by his side.

"Thank you" he said, sincerely", for taking care of our child".

"We’ll always be grateful" Steve continued", for everything you’ve done for him. I mean, you… you help us have him, you took care of him when we couldn’t…"

"Peter’s someone special to me. He’s my nephew, you know? And he’s an amazing child. Listen" she sighed", when he tells you about why he did what he did, please, try to understand. It’s been hard for him without you guys.

Tony and Steve nodded, this time heading towards Peter’s bedroom. The rest of the Avengers quickly followed. They were a family, they were going to find out about it together.

Peter’s bedroom was small, with bunks at the back of it. He had a desk filled with all type of technology, and the room was filled with posters and all types of different gadgets. 

Peter had already changed into something more comfortable than the suit, sitting on his bed with some sweatpants and a loose t-shirt on. He seemed in deep thought.

"Pete" Tony said (having already dissembled his suit at the door), taking a seat next to him. Steve took the other side and the rest of the Avengers awkwardly filled the room", are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine, Dad".

"Want to tell us the truth now, son?" Steve asked, gently. Peter sighed, running a hand trough his hair.

"I… yeah, I am".

"Pete, if you’re not ready we understand".

"I am ready, Uncle Bucky. I just, I… I don’t want you guys to hate me, or anything".

"Your dad already told you, прелесть" Natasha said", we could never hate you".

Peter nodded, unsure of how to start.

"Okay, I’ll make it easier" Bruce intervened". How did you become a mutant?"

"I’m not sure I am one, actually" Peter said", I mean, yeah, my DNA right now is somewhat mixed with a spider’s DNA, but I’m not a spider. Actually, it’s more like I’m… a superhuman, with some extra abilities".

"So, like me".

"Yeah, Pops". 

"What can you do, exactly?" asked Vision, curious.

"Em… well, I have super strength, and super speed and a fast metabolism, too. I heal, like, super fast, and all of my senses are dialled up to eleven. Other than that, I can stick to things and… oh, yeah, I have some sort of sixth sense. I can feel if somethings bad is going to happen".

"Dang, that’s some power" Clint whispered.

"And the webs?" Wanda asked.

"I make them. I mean, not organically, but… yeah. I created a Web Fluid, and I keep a lot of it on reserve". 

"You didn’t answer my question" Bruce said", what happened, Pete?"

"I… okay, don’t get mad" he said to Tony.

"Why would I get mad? Peter, I already told you…"

"It was in that Oscorp field trip".

"Oh my fucking God… I’m going to kill them. What did they do to you?" he yelled, almost getting up. His son held his hands, stopping him.

"They did nothing! It was an accident, I… well, I was wandering with the rest of my class whena spider bit me. I had the bad luck it was a radioactive one".

"So… a radioactive spider bit you… and suddenly you were superhuman" Bucky said", is that it?"

"Basically, yes. Pops, remember when I came home from the field trip? You found me passed out on my bed".

"Yeah" Steve said, remembering it", you said you were tired".

"Yeah, you didn’t come to dinner" Tony added. Peter nodded.

"Yeah, well, I was feeling like shit. My head was killing me, I… it was awful. That night it only got worse. I thought I was going to die, at some point, but I had no voice to call for any of you. It was terrifying, to be honest. And then I fell unconscious, and when I woke up I… already was like this. At first" he kept going before any of his family could ask something", I was too scared to say anything. I shut up because of pure fear. When you went away on a mission I made the suit, just out of boredom. I never really thought about becoming a superhero, you know? But I just… it just happened".

"I would say creating a suit like that, as well as programming an AI, does jus not 'happen'" Rhodey said, drawing a laugh", but you’re Tony’s son. It’s actually possible with you".

"Damn right" Tony whispered, with Steve rolling his eyes.

"Well, when you guys came back I totally forgot about it. I tried to ignore my powers, and I did try to tell you guys, but I didn’t know how. And… and then…" his voice cracked a bit and Steve and Tony exchanged worried glances over their son’s head.

"Then what, baby?" Steve asked.

"You can tell us, Bambi, it’s okay".

"I know, it’s just… it’s just hard".

"We’re here whenever you’re ready" Wanda said. Peter nodded, smiling to her before taking a few deep breaths.

"I, uh… I always liked visiting May. I don’t know why you guys never picked on it, but I guess it was because I went to see her specially if you were gone to be avenging or something. But, yeah, I went to her old apartment a lot, in where she lived with her husband, my Uncle Ben. It was nice, and I didn’t feel that alone".

"You felt alone a lot?" Steve asked, worried. Peter shrugged.

"It was hard not to, sometimes. I knew you guys were away because it was necessary, but sometimes it was hard. So, being with Ben and May helped me. They were my family in Queens. But then… Ben died".

"Peter, I’m sorry" Sam said, smiling apologetically". How did it happen?"

"It’s… well, it happened one evening, I… well, it was a normal day, you know. I was here, because you guys were in that super secret mission that lasted three months".

"The one that made you go away" Tony whispered.

"Let me explain, Dad. The mission was not the thing that made me leave".

"Explain then, kid" Clint said.

"Well, as I was saying, I was spending my evening with May and Ben. I was moody that day, because I missed you, and I was just feud up with life in general. I did not want to talk to anyone, and May understood and didn’t ask me why I was acting weird. However, Ben kept pushing and pushing, and we ended up arguing. I left the apartment, because I needed some fresh air, and Ben went after me, even when I didn’t know that. Then he found me, and then suddenly someone was trying to rob us, and Ben tried to protect me, and… he was shot" he finished, barely a whisper. Everybody was silent". He… he just bleed out in my arms". 

"Fuck, Peter…" Tony whispered" why didn’t you tell us this?"

"You weren’t here. I couldn’t contact you guys. I wish I told you, but I couldn’t" they stayed in silence a few moments after that. Then, Peter sighed and started to talk again". I spent the next couple of days with May, and even when I came back to the Penthouse, I still went almost everyday. May had lost her husband, I had lost an Uncle" he shrugged", so we cried about it together. It was like that for a few weeks, and then I realised: I could’ve done something".

"Peter, no" Bruce said", don’t do that to yourself. It’s not your fault: you could’ve not done anything". 

"I could’ve, Uncle Bruce. I can catch a moving bus with my bare hands without breaking a sweat: I could’ve". 

"You were not in control of your powers yet, honey" Steve said, combing his son’s hair gently", it’s not your fault, okay?"

Peter nodded, leaning onto his father’s touch when he kissed his forehead. 

"I know that" he finally whispered". I was not a superhero in that moment, only a teenager superhuman. But I realised I could do something about my powers. I didn’t want any more families going trough the same stuff May and I were going. So I decided to be Spiderman. You guys defend the world: I take care of the little guy, like my Uncle was". 

"Sweetheart" Tony said, also playing with his baby boy’s hair", that’s honorable, and we’re proud of you. But, why did you leave? We’re superheroes: we could’ve understood".

"I… well, at first I didn’t think about leaving. But then I started having these nightmares, and they were about you. A lot of the times I saw Pops and you. You were dying in my arms, just like Ben did. Sometimes someone attacked you because of my superhero persona. The rest of you guys also appeared, but not that often". 

"Peter, we’re the Avengers" Clint said, gently". We get you were worried, but we’re the Earth’s mightiest heroes, we could’ve handled ourselves".

"Yeah, well, Toomes got you guys today" Peter clap-backed. 

"He has a point, there" Sam said", as much as I hate to admit it". 

"The thing is: I started being paranoid. I knew I had to protect you guys, because it was hard loosing Ben, but I could not bear loosing any of you. I know it’s always a possibility, being the Avengers and all, but I hate thinking about it. I also knew Pops was going to be against the idea of me being Spiderman".

"Well, yeah, kind of" Steve said", I would’ve been unsure of it. But with rules…"

"So you left because you wanted to protect us. Is that it?" Tony asked.

"Ben died because I couldn’t protect him, Dad. I didn’t want that happening again".

"It was not your fault" Tony said", but I get why you felt like that. You were worrying about your Aunt, but nobody took care of your grief".

"Maybe… I also wanted to protect May, you know. She had lost her husband… I didn’t want her to be alone. Are you… are you mad at me?"

"We’re proud" Tony said, hugging his son closer and kissing the side of his head". We’re proud of the young man you’ve become. You should’ve told us, but we get why you didn’t, baby".

He kissed the side of his head again, smiling when Peter snuggled up closer to him, resting his head on the crook of his neck. 

"Thank you" he whispered. Steve sighed then, resting a hand on Peter’s knee.

"Now what, son? We want you to be honest. Do you want to come with us?"

"I want to keep protecting Queens, and I want May to know I’m always there for her" Tony and Steve tried to not look disappointed, and so did the rest of the Avengers". That being said" Peter continued, and all of their heads snapped up": you’re my parents. I’ve missed you more than anything, I… I don’t know if it’s selfish, but I want to go back to the Tower, if you would take me in".

All of the heroes’s faces lighted up, and huge smiles crossed their faces. Their little Peter wanted to go back home! It was an amazing feeling. 

"Of course we would!" Tony exclaimed" Peter, it is not selfish. We’re your dads, and that’s" he pointed to the Avengers, who were still smiling stupidly" your family. You belong with us".

"And you can visit May whenever you want" Steve said, barely containing himself from jumping up and down in excitement. Peter smiled widely, too. 

"So I can go back home?"

"Of course you can, Bambi" Tony said", we’d be incredibly happy. We have to talk with Fury so we can get the custody back, but as for now, you can come home with us". 

"Yeah" Bucky said", that asshole better not be causing us more trouble". 

"He’ll give you back custody rights" Peter said", I’m sure. Plus, once he knows I’m a superhero too, he’ll even _try_ harder for you guys to have my custody again".

"Then that’s settled" Tony smiled. 

"Yeah, it is. Although… when do I leave?"

"If it was for me: today" Steve said". You can come with us, you still have your room. Just pack some clothes".

Peter nodded, smiling.

"That sounds good. I just… could I speak to May first?"

"Of course, sweetheart" Tony answered", you should do it".

The vigilante nodded, standing up and leaving his room.

"He’s coming home" Bucky whispered, smiling from ear to ear (a smile that only appeared when it had to do something with his nephew). His best friend nodded and launched himself at him, both hugging each other tightly. Rhodey also went to Tony, sharing a smile and putting an arm around his shoulders.

"He’s still an asshole" Sam said", but damn… what an amazing asshole, huh?"

Clint laughed, agreeing with him. Natasha only rolled her eyes, but she was happy about Peter’s returning, too. The rest of the Avengers were also supporting huge grins. Tony stood up from the bed, too, and went to exit the room.

"I personally want to talk with May. I don’t want her to feel we’re taking Peter from her".

The other heroes nodded, and Steve went to his husband, taking his hand in his. They both went to the living room, in where Peter and May stood, embraced.

"So you’re not mad, right?" Peter whispered.

"Of course I’m not mad, silly. I’m happy for you".

"May" Tony said, breaking the hug and the moment", we want to thank you again for everything".

"Tony, I already said it: Peter’s my nephew. I’d do anything for him".

"And we’ll always be thankful for that, ma’am" Steve said". We also want you to know we don’t want to take him away from you…"

"You’re not doing it" May interrupted him". You’re his parents, for heavens shake. He should be with you guys… I was being selfish all of this time by keeping him here, but his home is wherever you guys are". 

"I’ll still visit" Peter said", at least every week".

"Oh, I’m counting on it". 

"And I’ll still patrol here, too" he kept saying", I can’t leave Queens unprotected". 

"That sounds good too, kiddo" the woman said, smiling warmly at him". Now, why don’t you go with your family already? It’s late and I know you need to sleep after a battle".

"Yeah, I could use a bed" the spider ling said. Tony scoffed and put an arm around his son’s shoulders, messing with his hand the teenager’s hair.

"Well, then let’s go".

Peter nodded, and then went briefly to his room to grab some of his clothes and his basic stuff, like his computer (“oh, no. That computer is going away tomorrow morning, and I’ll give you SI last prototype. That thing is so outdated, it makes me want to cry. Same goes for your phone), and his high school books. All of the Avengers -minus Steve and Tony- went to the Tower, to prepare Peter’s arrival, and the Superfamily called Happy to pick them up. Peter embraced May one last time.

"Call me if you need anything, Aunt May".

"Of course".

"I larb you". 

"I larb you, too, sweetie. Now, go. Time to go home".

Peter smiled at her, and then went with his parents, who hugged him for the hundredth time that night. Not like he was going to complain.

"Time to go home" Tony said". And don’t even think I forgot that list with your injuries, mister".

"But, Dad!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end! Don't forget two years have passed, so obviously going back to "normal" is not going to be easy... I just wonder: do you guys want the third part Sunday or Monday? 
> 
> If someone has doubts:
> 
> -If you're wondering why Stony can't get to their kid: first, Fury has worked for them to not know anything. I know they could fight to know things about Peter, but it would mess with Peter, and they don't want that. They get their kid wanted to be away, and they respect that, even when they want to be with him again. 
> 
> If any of you want to see a scene/one shot/short story in particular you just have to tell me! I'm open to requests.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third and last part of this short story! Just because Peter has come home things are going to be pretty, or easy. So this is them adjusting. And some fluff.
> 
> After this I've been working on a one shot. I still have to finish it, but I don't have a lot left. I don't know when I'm going to upload it, because this week everyone is going to be focusing on Infinity War, myself included.
> 
> I actually don't know when I'm going to see it. I know I have it kind of hard this weekend because I have to study way too much, but idk. Also, I can't go to any cinema, because I want to watch in it's original version, not the one my country is showing in every cinema. The voiceover is awful, and so is the translate they do of the dialogues. I hate it, and I hate I still have to wait to see it, which is ironic, because I don't want to see it, either. I want all of my faves to be alive, thank you so much. Also, I feel like I'm not emotionally prepared for the movie.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the last part! Tell me what you thought and hopefully see you really soon!

A few weeks after they had reunited with their son, the life in the Tower was, in one word: hectic. Peter moving back was not as easy as they initially thought. For example, he had to do a massive cleaning of his room, get rid of the clothes that didn’t fit him anymore (so, all of them) and buy some new ones. Plus, Tony offered him a makeover so his room could be more “appropriate for your age and new skills”. 

Fury almost had a stroke when he found out about Peter being superhuman. It didn’t help the fact that the teenager was too much like Tony, sometimes.

 

 

"You guys seriously think this is a good idea?" Bruce asked, frowning. Almost all of the Avengers (minus Wanda, Clint and Vision, who were in a short mission) were there, waiting for Fury. Peter had moved in a couple of days ago, and Steve and Tony had decided to call Fury into the Penthouse to get over the custody issue as soon as posible.

"Yes it is, Brucie Bear" Tony answered him, filling another cup of coffee for himself". Eye Patch has to know what happens, otherwise he’ll start complaining about it". 

"Plus, the asshole wanted us to be away from the punk" Bucky said, sitting on the table while sharpening his knifes", so he has to know Peter left because he wanted to protect us, not because he didn’t want us as family".

"You guys know I’m here" Peter himself asked, sitting on the counter while eating cereals", right?"

"Shush" his dad said, gesturing him to shut up. His son only rolled his eyes, but kept eating.

"Tony, you have to behave" Steve warned his husband, worried about the outcome", we don’t want any casualties".

"Why not?" Natasha asked from the sofa, reading her magazine. Steve tried to ignore her.

"Honey, behave" he told his husband, making both, his husband and son, to roll his eyes.

"Man of Iron, your son looks more like you everyday" Thor laughed. 

"That’s not comforting" Sam said", who knows how Fury is going to take it".

"We’re lucky Peter is like Steve in a lot of ways, too" Rhodey snickered.

"Am I supposed to not be offended by that?" Tony asked before taking another gulp of coffee. Steve sighed and took the mug from Tony, putting it away" Hey! I was drinking that".

"And it was your fourth, sweetheart. Enough for this morning". 

Tony rolled his eyes dramatically, but smiled when Steve pressed his soft lips against his, caressing his jaw.

"Sir" FRIDAY suddenly said, breaking the Superhusbands apart. The attention of all of the heroes turned towards the ceiling, even Peter’s, who was happily watching his fathers (when he was little he always complained about the constant kisses, but not he was over the moon for being able to see them love each other like that again)" Nick Fury has arrived to the Tower. Do I send him to the kitchen?"

"Yes Fri, and thank you" Tony said, sighing and going over to his kid". Alright, kiddo, let’s hear your Papa for once. Behave".

"Fine, Dad. Same goes for you".

Tony rolled his eyes fondly towards his kid, and Steve smiled at them both, feeling complete after having both his boys back with him. He heard the elevators door opening and coughed lightly to get everyone’s attention, succeeding. Fury came shortly after, looking mildly annoyed.

"Why did you guys call me…?" he stopped on his track, letting his jaw hit the floor. He pointed at Peter, who smiled and waved" What is he doing here?"

"He moved back here two days ago" Tony said, going straight to the point. It was his kid they were talking about, he was not joking around", so take that, Fury".

"What Tony was trying to say" Steve intervened", is that our son has decided to move back with us, his parents, and with his family. So we called you to ask you to give us custody rights back".

"Are you crazy?" Fury asked" His custody is May Parker’s". 

"She knows he’s going to live here, now" Steve said", she’s okay with it. We’re his dads, Fury. He has to be with us".

"Right. You seem to forget he wanted to get away from you, a few years ago… so why should I do what you ask?"

"He wants to be with us" Tony said". Listen, Fury, we can do this nicely, or I can get mad and make this a legal war. Your choice". 

"Stark, I don’t think you realise how serious this is".

"It’s my son we’re talking about. Of course I do".

Fury scoffed and then everyone was pretty much shouting, trying to defend their points. Of course, it was everyone against SHIELD’s director. He was way too stubborn. The only one who was not yelling was Peter. His head was killing him with all that noise, and even worse: he was out of milk. He saw there was a brick on the table, but it was too faraway, and he was comfortable seated in the counter. 

"Hey, could someone pass me the milk?" he asked to no one in particular. Nobody seemed to hear him" Hey! Heeeeey! Guys!" Nothing" Seriously, anyone?!" Tony laughed then, starting to yell at Fury once again" Okay, I’ll have to do it myself".

He shot a web at the brick, and then pulled so he could grab it. He poured himself some milk and then closed the brick and put it beside him. It was when he looked up that he realised the entire room had fallen silent. His family was looking at him in a mix of amusement and astonishment at what he had done. Fury had his mouth wide open, looking at him without blinking.

"What the hell" he whispered. Peter shrugged.

"None of you were passing me the milk, and I needed it. Want some?"

Fury actually fell against a chair. That family was way too much. 

 

So, yeah, Tony watched the recording every once in a while, and had it display every time the director of SHIELD walked into a room. Fury was not happy about it. However, he (like Peter had already predicted) wanted them to have the teenager’s custody, now that he knew Peter was a superhuman. 

They also talked about the possibility of Peter becoming an Avenger. They all agreed it was too early. They thought about asking the vigilante to become one of them before, yes, but that was when they thought he was twenty-something. Now that they know he wasn’t even seventeen, they all agreed on having Peter as a training-Avenger. The whole team was going to work with him, and he could help in some missions, if they were not too dangerous. He’d become an official Avenger once he was older. Eighteen minimum, but they were going to talk about it once he was that age. Meanwhile, he could still be Queen’s local hero. Peter was okay with that. He was glad his parents had accepted his new powers (then again- how could they not?), even though there were still adjusting to Peter’s habilites. The teenager still remembered when his Dad found him in the ceiling.

 

Tony was over the moon with his son moving back in. Peter was everything he had dream of for a son, and their relationship (minus the whole moving-away-for-two-years thing) was incredible. He had swear to not be like Howard with Peter, and Tony had succeeded. 

Now that Peter was back in the Tower, the engineer wanted to go back to their lab sessions. Peter had moved almost a week ago, so it was about time. Tony was dying to show him the new improvements he had made in the lab. He left his bedroom that morning and went to the kitchen. 

"You guys know you have your own floor, don’t you?" he asked, going over to his husband and kissing him before going straight to the coffee machine.

"We do" Clint said, sitting on the counter". Steve, how many pancakes are you making? There’s enough to feed an army".

"May I remind you there’s people in this house who have a fast metabolism?" Steve said, flipping another pancake" Peter falls into that category now, too".

"And he’s a teenager" Bruce supplied, pouring himself some tea", so he has to eat more than usual".

"I swear to God, what he eats alone in one day could feed a family of four for a week" Sam scoffed. Bucky rolled his eyes, punching him in the arm.

"Be nicer to my nephew".

"You know, you were cooler before, when you were on my team. Don’t you miss messing with him?"

Bucky shrugged.

"I missed him more. And don’t ever think about telling him I said that. I know how to hide a body".

"Honey, since when do we have more than one kid?" Tony asked Steve, faking curious. Sam and Bucky flipped him off" .Hey, where's everyone else? I know Rhodey is in DC with Vision, but…"

"The rest of this goddamn family understand this is not a restaurant" Steve said, making his husband snort. 

"Thor was coming to get breakfast here, he just was showering" Clint said", and Wanda and Nat went out to have breakfast in Manhattan. The real question here is, where’s Peter?"

"I think he’s still on his room" Tony answered", probably sleeping". 

"Then go and wake him up" Steve ordered", so he can have breakfast with us".

"At your orders, my Captain". His husband rolled his eyes, but didn’t complain when Tony kissed him quick before leaving the kitchen. He went to his son’s bedroom, which was going to be remodelled soon to adapt to his new skills. He knocked softly and then opened the door". Bambi? Your Pops made breakfast, and an awful lot of your Uncles came to have it with us. I swear, they don’t get what privacy means… Peter?" he asked, worried. The room was dark but, when he got to his son’s bed, he realised Peter was not there. His Papa Bear instincts kicked strong and he went almost running to the kitchen". Steve, Peter’s not in his room. Do you know where he could be?"

His husband froze in the spot and looked at him, worried.

"He’s not? Did you look?"

"No, I just decided it was a good idea to simply assume he was not in his bed. Of course I fucking looked".

"Okay, calm down" Clint said", the squirt is probably in your lab".

"He’s not" Tony said", he swore he was going to wait for me".

"I’ll go look" Bucky offered. When he came back two minutes after, he was looking worried, too". He’s not there".

"Okay, why don’t we look in his room again?" Bruce said" He’s clearly in the Tower, Fri would’ve alerted us if not".

They all nodded, going almost running to Peter’s bedroom. They switched on the lights, and Peter was definitely not in his bed. The sheets were messy, so he clearly had been, but the bed was empty. Clint went to the bathroom, but found nothing. Tony, starting to panic, saw a physics book on the floor. He went to pick it up, and when he did he looked at the ceiling… and almost had a heart attack.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" he yelled. The other heroes frowned and look at the ceiling as well, having similar reactions when they saw Peter was sitting there, head to one side and his eyes closed. The sound startled him and he started to fall. 

"Whoa!" he yelled, and flipped so he could land nicely in his feet. He looked at his family groggily". Hey guys. What’s going on?"

"What’s going on?" Tony yelled" You were on the ceiling! Care to explain?!"

"Oh, I couldn’t sleep around five a.m, so I started reading and I guess I fell asleep". 

"In the ceiling?"

"It’s relaxing".

"How can you stick to it?" his Uncle Bucky asked, still trying to breath properly. Hell, he was a super spy, almost nothing in the world could scare him anymore. But with Peter… dang, he was too much like his Papa.

"Spider powers, remember? I can stick to things. By the way, do I smell pancakes?" he asked, eyes shinning. Steve sighed and went to his son, ruffling his hair and putting an arm around him.

"Yes baby, I made pancakes. C’mon, let’s go get breakfast. Tony, honey, you sure you don’t have a stroke?"

"I’m sure" the brunette answered after a few seconds. Then, he whispered". For fucks shake, this kid is going to be the death of me". 

 

So, yeah, it wasn’t exactly _easy._ And Tony knew it was going to be hard, specially because it had been two years, and Peter was now a superhuman _and_ a superhero. He had went through a lot of things, and he had matured and grew up into an amazing young man. Steve and Tony were proud of him, but they were also worried things were going to be awkward. They were still working on the “our son is now a vigilante” issue. It didn’t helped Peter went out even more so than them to fight off criminals. 

It wasn’t that bad, at first. When he moved back he decided to focus on that for a few days, and let Spiderman rest. He did, but only for two weeks before he was completely back into his patrolling, full time. He remembered the first time it happened, actually.

 

Tony had asked FRIDAY to put an alarm for him to know when his son should be coming home from school. He still went to Midtown, and did not want to change that. Because Peter was in the end of his junior year, neither of his parents saw a reason to make him change schools. Tony wanted to go and greet his son, maybe invite him to his lab after he had done his homework in the Studio (he was tempted to invite Peter to do homework in the lab, but the Studio time was Steve’s, and he respected that). So when his AI alerted him, the genius went almost running to the Penthouse.

"Hey babe" Steve greeted him, smiling with amusement", what’s the hurry?"

Tony returned him the smile, loving how happier they both were since their son was back in their lives.

"I wanted to be here when Pete comes home from Midtown". 

"Same" Steve smiled", maybe he wants to do homework in the Studio".

"Maybe" Tony agreed". I was going to ask him if he wants to do go down to the lab, once he is finished with his homework".

"Sounds good, honey. He’ll be back soon, I guess. Coffee while we wait?"

"Oh, how much I love you".

Steve laughed, pouring some coffee for the both of them and going over to the living room. They sat in the loving seat for a while, but soon they realised Peter should have come home already.

"It’s kind of late, isn’t it?" the blond asked.

"Maybe he had some club…"

"No, not today. Nat!" the Captain called for the redhead, who was walking into the penthouse.

"Hey, guys. You okay? Your faces look worried".

"We kind of are, Tasha" Tony said.

"Why?"

"Peter hasn’t come from school yet, and it’s getting kind of late".

"Oh! Yeah, don’t worry about that. Little пау́к told me he was going on patrol".

"After school?" Steve asked. Natasha shrugged.

"He told me it’s what he usually does, after school. Don’t worry, guys. Peter’s smart and he’s strong, too. So I think your son is going to be fine".

"Yeah, I guess" Tony sighed. He still was nervous, and so was his husband. They spent the rest of the evening doing their own things, and got a little bit more worried as the hours went by.

"He’s going to be alright, right?" Steve asked, cooking dinner. Tony was sitting at the bar, fidgetingwith some tools. He sighed, looking at his husband.

"God, Steve, I hope. Nat is right: he’s smart and he’s strong. Hell, he said he’s stronger than you".

"We’ll actually have to test that".

"Yeah, that’s a good idea. Anyways, babe, don’t worry".

"You tell me not to worry, hon, but I _know_ you do".

"It’s difficult not to. But I’ve been worrying about him since he was born… maybe since we knew he existed".

Steve sighed, going over to his husband and wrapping his arms around him, kissing his head. 

"Parenthood, huh?" he asked, smiling against Tony’s hair. The engineer laughed softly, hugging his husband tighter. Not two minutes later, one of the windows of the Penthouse was opened. They both frowned and went to check who it was. 

"Pete!" Tony exclaimed, and his son took his mask off.

"Hey" he said, touching his lip and wincing". Yeah, I knew I broke it. Hope it’s healed by dinner".

"Honey, what happened?" Steve asked, going over to his son, worried.

"Nothing, Pops. Just a hit I took. It doesn’t even hurt".

"Is that all?" Tony asked, remembering how his son had told them he was okay after the battle with Toomes when he was not.

"Yes, that is all. Right, Karen?"

"It is, indeed" the AI said, sounding cheerful. 

"I’ll go change, now" the teenager said", and sorry for using this window. I’m still trying to see which one is my bedroom’s". 

"It’s okay, baby. Did you do your homework?"

"Not yet, Pops. I was going to do it now".

"How about you two have some homework" Studio time?" Tony asked gently" I can take over dinner".

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I can cook, too, you know". 

Steve laughed and kissed his husband’s head, knowing Tony was trying for him to have his moment with their son. He really had an amazing husband.

"Okay, we’ll trust you. What do you say, Peter? Want to spend some time with your old man while you do your homework?"

"Yeah!" Peter exclaimed, smiling" Sounds amazing. I’ll go change and then I’ll go to the Studio".

"See you there, Bambi". 

Peter nodded, smiling, and went to his room.

"That wasn’t so bad, was it?" Tony asked" He’ll do his homework with you and he has done his patrol".

"Yeah, but you don’t get your lab time".

"I’ll get it another day".

"You’re amazing".

"I know".

Steve laughed, kissing his husband and moaning when he deepened the kiss.

"Peter’s waiting".

"Fine, fine. Go with our son". 

 

That same night, Tony couldn’t fall asleep. It wasn’t _that_ weird, so he let his husband sleep and decided to go to his lab. When he arrived, though, he almost screamed in surprise.

"Peter?" he asked. His son looked up, smiling when he saw him. Tony realised he had his web shooters in his hands, tools sprawled around the table.

"Hey, Dad. Couldn’t sleep?"

"No, not really". 

"I couldn’t sleep either".

"Right. Everything okay?" he asked suspiciously. 

"Yeah" his son whispered, looking back at his shooters. Tony went up to him silently, observing how his baby boy worked for a few minutes, sitting in front of him.

"Peter, I’m serious" he finally said", are you okay?"

His kid sighed, putting the screwdriver he was using back in the table.

"I am" he finally said. He raised his head, and Tony discovered his eyes were shinning". Dad, I’m more than okay, I… I’ve never been happier".

Tony couldn’t fight the smile that creeped on on his face. However, it quivered when he saw how worked up his son seemed.

"Then why the bad face, Bambi?"

"It’s just… I know we still have to work out an awful ton of things. You guys still get surprised if you see me as Spiderman…"

"Peter…"

"And I get that. I got surprised, too, for almost a year. Looking in the mirror was an _experience_. But that’s not the problem: I know we’re going to be able to solve it, you know. It’ll take time, an effort from both of our parts, but I think we’ll be fine".

"Then what’s the problem?"

"The problem is that sometimes I’m really guilty about all of this" Peter said". I’m back with you guys, but… Ben is still dead. And now May is alone, and Liz’s dad is… and I’m here, happier than ever. Sometimes I feel too selfish to be a superhero".

His last words were barely a whisper, and Tony went immediately to him, wrapping his arms around the teenager. He cried then, feeling more vulnerable now that he was in his dad’s arms.

"Shhh… shhh baby, it’s okay".

"I’m sorry, I know it’s childish".

"It’s not" Tony said". Peter, it’s not. It’s okay to feel like that, ‘cause you’re human. However, it’s not okay to think like that, honey, because you’re not selfish". 

"But…"

"Do I need to feel bad because my parents died? Your Papa’s parents also passed away, Peter. So many people we know have passed away, but we don’t let that take control of our lives. You know what we do?" his son shook his head, resting it against Tony’s chest". We don’t forget. Every time you go out there, you think about Ben, and May, and all of those people who mean something to you, and you fight. And you understand you’re not selfish for being happy. Got it?"

"Yeah, I think so…"

"And, listen: I barely knew your Uncle Ben. We barely talked since you were born. But I know, Peter, I could swear on my life, that he wouldn’t want to see you sad because you’re happy. C’mon, kiddo, we’re both genius, we know being sad because you feel happy is ilogical. Don’t be dumb like your Uncle Clint".

Peter laughed then, warming Tony’s heart.

"You’re an amazing Dad. I’ve told you before, right?" Tony only nodded, knowing he was going to cry if he dared to talk". Do you want to help me with my web-shooters ?" the teenager asked after a few minutes.

Tony broke the hug, observing what his son was working on. 

"Oh, look at what we have here. You know, I’ve been dying to look at your suit". 

"We can do it, if you want. I have it here with me".

Tony’s eyes lighted up. Maybe, if Steve was at his side, he would’ve said: _no, son, you’re still a teenager and you need rest_. However, Peter was offering him an inside look at his suit: how in hell was he going to say no to that?

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Peter smiled (Tony’s smile, Steve always said) and went to grab his suit.

"There you go" he said, laying it on top of one of the lab’s tables.

"You know, it’s impressive" Tony told his son, starting to look at the suit". I’m so impressed. So proud".

"Thanks, Dad". 

"I’ve actually been thinking of some improving to the suit, but only if you agree with it. It’s your creation, so your decision".

"Thanks" Peter smiled". But, c’mon, of course I want your ideas. You’re Tony Stark".

"Okay, kiddo, it’s official. You’ve become a fanboy as well as my son, and the mix is too weird".

Peter laughed and then nodded.

"You should see Ned, then. He’s a full-on fanboy. He almost fainted when I told him I moved back in".

Tony fake groaned, and then laughed along side his son. They started working then, and, even when Tony would’ve liked to talk more with Peter, they were too concentrated to do so. Still, he was over the moon. He always liked working with his son, because he was as genius as Tony was, but after two years it was even better. He had learned so many things, and had such a control in what he was talking about… Tony was the proudest father in the whole world. 

"…Tony? Peter?"

Both of the brunette’s head snapped up, blinking rapidly at the change of light. Both had messy hair now, and ha their clothes wrinkled. Steve watched them from the door, confused. 

"Pops!"

"Honey!" Tony and Peter yelled at the same time". Light of my life, you can’t sleep either?"

"No, I actually could. And I did, and I woke up already".

"Huh?" both of Steve’s boys said. The blond sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"It’s five in the morning, boys. I just woke up to go for my morning jog. I didn’t find you in bed, Tony, so I thought you’d be here. I was going to drag you to bed before going to run. Now I guess I’ll have to drag you both".

Peter and Tony shared shameful glances.

"Sorry, Pops. We got a little bit distracted".

"I see".

"Steve, our son is a genius! I mean, I’m his father, so: obviously. But his suit, Steve… it’s like heaven, it’s amazing".

"And you can tell me everything once you’ve had some rest. Both of you". 

"But, Papa…"

"Oh, no. Don’t go with that name, and don’t make the puppy eyes, I’m not going to fall for it. Go to sleep, you two. I’ll wake you up with breakfast. And you’re lucky you don’t have school today, Mister".

Peter nodded, actually yawning while he did it, and went to hug his dad before heading off to bed. Steve kissed his head and let him go. Tony went to gave him a good night (morning? He didn’t even know, anymore) kiss and left for his bed, too. He smiled widely when he arrived and realised Peter was there.

"If you tell somebody about this I’ll tell Clint your favourite Disney movie" he mumbled when he felt the body of his father laying next to his.

"Noted, kiddo". 

 

So, yeah, some days were good. They had really good moments, like the first time they had a movie night after Peter had moved, or the family dinners they went back to having. However, it was still hard. Peter had changed, and even though they were trying to adjust… it was damn hard. Sometimes it felt like they didn’t even know his son anymore. Like, Peter was still this brilliant and lovable kid, but he had a lot of layers his dads didn’t know. They hand’t talked about it, because they were too scared. But the late nights Peter sometimes had, and the secrecy he sometimes held about his patrols (like he was still trying to protect them), it was sometimes too much. Peter was sometimes too independent, and it was clear he didn’t even want to be like that: it was like he was forced to. Steve and Tony were working on letting him know he didn’t need to be like that anymore, but they didn’t know how to do it. 

Their limit, however, came over a month and a half after Peter was back in their lives. It was Sunday, and they had planned a family dinner with the Avengers, that night. However, Tony and Steve had managed to have a “private” breakfast, only them and their son. They waited for Peter, but when they saw it was getting late, both of the husbands went to see what was going on. They knocked at their son’s bedroom door, but heard no response. Worried, they shared a glance and opened it, briefly looking at the ceiling to check he wasn’t there. The room was pitch black, and Tony was tempted to turn on the lights, but Peter had showed to be annoyed by that since he came home, so that was a no. He put a hand on his husband’s shoulder and let him guide them both to the bed. The silhouette of their son was there, laying curled on himself. 

"Peter?" Steve asked, gently" Honey, it’s time to wake up".

Peter gave them a soft moan, tightening the sheets around him but not moving. 

"Friday, turn on the lights" Tony commanded.

"No" Peter said, as loud as he could". Please, don’t turn them on".

The Superhusbands shared another worried glance. 

"Baby, Fri is going to light up the room just a little bit, so we can see you better. I swear it’ll be almost nothing" his son didn’t say anything else and Tony asked FRIDAY to do so. It was barely nothing, only for them to see Peter better, but their son moaned and tried to disappear into the sheets. Steve put a hand on his forehead.

"He doesn’t have a fever".

"He shouldn’t. He’s enhanced now, remember? His body should heal his fever before it gets to this".

"So what’s wrong with our kid?"

"I don’t know, honey".

"Can you guys keep it down?" Peter said, and Tony and Steve realised how much effort he was putting into those words" Your voices are bothering me right now".

"Does your head hurt, baby?" Steve asked.

"Yeah".

"Okay, then we’ll leave you alone" Tony said, sighing.

"Light, please. It’s way too bright". 

Steve and Tony shared another worried glance, and then left Peter’s room, going to the kitchen.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Tony asked, not knowing what to think, or feel.

"I don’t know". 

"Does it have to do with his patrols? Maybe something hit him, maybe he just overworked himself…"

"He was not freaking out" Steve suddenly said.

"Yeah, well, he was in too much pain to do it, I’d say".

"No, Peter… if this was new to him he would’ve asked us to stay, or to call Bruce".

"He didn’t do that with Spiderman".

"He didn’t think it was going to get that bad, and when he wanted to call us, he couldn’t. He told us that".

"So, he’s used to this, to feel that amount of pain and discomfort. That’s what you’re trying to say".

"Yeah".

"Then I’m still confused. Even more so. Maybe we can ask him about it".

"We can, but I don’t know if he’ll talk for more than to ask us to leave". 

"Then, what? Wait until he gets better? We don’t know how long it’s going to be, and I don’t want our baby in pain, Steve".

"I know. But Tony… maybe there’s somebody that already knows how to deal with this".

"Oh, you mean…?"

"It’s time to visit May Parker, I’d say". 

 

May Parker was a nice woman, they both knew that. First of, she had helped them and gave them their son. They weren’t close afterwards, but they still knew she was kind, caring, and an amazing human being. The woman taking care of Peter after everything that had happened only proved them right. 

When they knocked on her apartment door and she opened she just smiled, as if she knew they were going to come. She had invited them to coffee, or tea, and they all took a seat in the living room, Steve and Tony together and May in front of them.

"We’re sorry to bother you" Steve said", we really are".

"Yeah" Tony said", but we need to talk to you".

"About Peter, isn’t it?" the woman asked.

"Yeah" Steve nodded", it’s about him. He, I don’t know how to explain it…"

"He has changed" May completed for him. Steve shut his mouth, nodding. Tony grabbed his hand to calm him down.

"Yeah". 

"I know. I’ve noticed".

"So, this happened when he went back to the Tower?" Tony asked, curious but also worried.

"No, Tony. This happened after Ben died. Peter, he… he’s a wonderful kid, you know. You both have raised him amazingly. He’s caring, and generous, and selfless, and thoughtful".

"Yeah, he is" Tony smiled.

"He also has a tendency to put literally everybody else before him. And after my husband died, he… I guess it was too much. He loved him, and I know he still thinks it’s his fault he died. I’ve tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault at all, but I know he still thinks it was". 

"That’s bullshit".

"Yeah, Tony, it is. But Peter loves to put the weigh of the world on his shoulders. After Ben died he left the tower, and became more reserved. More…"

"Independent".

"Yeah. He doesn’t want to rely on anyone, because he thinks it’ll put them in danger. In my opinion? He’s just scared".

"We’re scared, too" Steve confessed". We love Peter with everything we are. But he has spent two years away from us, and there’s a lot of things he hasn’t told us. We want to know him, but we’re too scared. And he’s always shutting up, he barely tells us anything about his patrols".

"He’s trying to protect us".

"Maybe" Tony agreed", but he doesn’t have to. He’s putting a barrier between us by doing so. And, today he… he just wouldn’t wake up".

"What do you mean?"

"We went to wake him up to have breakfast" Steve explained", and his room was pitch black. He seemed like he was in pain, he told us to shut up because the noise was bothering him… and we don’t know how to help him".

"Oh… yeah, I know what’s the problem".

"What is it?" the both of them asked. May sighed, playing with her hands.

"This is what we called an “overload” day. I guess Peter has told you about his senses, right?" she asked to the husbands, who were looking truly confused.

"He said since the bite they’ve been dialled up to eleven" Steve said.

"Yeah. He senses more things than the usual human".

"But I have that too. The enhanced senses, I mean".

"I know you do, Steve, but it’s different for Peter. You’re an adult, you were an adult when you became superhuman. Peter is, one, still a growing teenager and two, more exposed to it than you are". 

"I don’t understand…"

"Peter’s body is changing" Tony suddenly said, getting what May was saying", so the serum or radiation or whatever affects him more. It’s also more volatile".

"Yes, exactly. It only happens with his senses, though". 

"So, the way he perceives things can be altered, and it depends of… what?" Steve asked, comprehending what May was saying. The woman shrugged, helplessly.

"I don’t really know. Sometimes it’s because he has been too stressed, and sometimes it’s just because". 

"So what happens in these “overload” days?" Tony asked" How can we help?"

"In these overload days, Peter’s senses go way too over the top. Usually he can control it. He has the lenses in his suit to help him focus. If you’ve noticed he listens to music with headphones way more it’s because it helps him focus on just one sound. Sometimes, if there’s too much happening around him he can get sudden overload". 

"What can we do?" Steve asked.

"Nothing, really. Nothing I’ve discovered yet, I mean. He has bad days every once in a while, but they go as fast as they come. Meanwhile, let him be. Don’t make noises if you go to check on him and keep the room as dark as possible. Also, if you bring him food, it’s a good idea to make soup. It’s insipid, it doesn’t smell". 

"See, you… you know so many things, May. So many things about this new life our son has. Us, we… we’re so lost".

"Steve" May took his hand in hers, smiling warmly at him", it took me a while to get used to this. Peter never told me anything, I had to ask Karen nine out of ten times I wanted to know something. He’s opening so much to you guys, if he let you come to his room on his first overload day back home. He locked his door the first few times it happened here".

"Yeah, but…"

"I know it seems like I know everything and you guys don’t know anything, but you only think that because you’re scared of loosing Peter again. Truth is: you’re not going to loose him. All of you are scared of opening up, but you have to do it. You want to, you’re just scared. And I know I’m no one to tell you this, but I’ve been living with Peter for two years, and he just seems like a mix of you two. Tony, Steve: talk to Peter. Make a routine with Spiderman… it’s hard at the beginning, but it’ll be easier in a few weeks. Peter adores you both and you both adore Peter. It’s going to work out, you’ll see. And he’ll tell you guys everything, with time".

"Thank you, May" Steve said, smiling tearily at her". For everything".

"Yeah, thank you, Aunt May" Tony said". You’re really a blessing".

"Don’t worry about it, guys. Now, go back to your son". 

 

Steve and Tony were feeling better after the talk with May, but they still were insecure. 

"Do you think it’s okay to go see him?" Steve asked" I want to check on him".

"It’s a good idea. But we have to keep quiet, alright?"

"Yeah, okay". 

They both went to their son’s bedroom. They opened the door quietly, after switching off the lights of the hall (so the room would remain dark even when the door was open). Peter was still in the middle of the bed, although he no longer was curled in himself.

"Pops, Dad?" he asked, weakly. His parents went to his side, trying to not make too much noise.

"Hi, baby" Steve whispering", we’re here".

"Where’d you go?"

"We went to visit your Aunt, Bambi" Tony murmured", to try to understand what was wrong with you".

"It’s nothing, ‘m okay. Sometimes I get sensory overload. But ‘m fine, Daddy". 

"I’m sure you’re okay, baby boy" Tony smiled. His son only called him Daddy if, a: he was worried about him or scared, b: if he was extra sentimental or c: if he was feeling sick or plainly bad. The genius let himself remember all of the times when Peter was sick as a child, how Steve and him took care of him, the long days in Peter’s bed and all of the cuddles. 

"Peter, you don’t have to worry. Your aunt has explained everything about this to us. We only came to check on you, but we’ll leave now, so you can rest in peace".

They both started to go towards the door, when…

"Wait" their son said, barely a whisper. They both stopped and turned around to see him (well, whatever they could see in the dark)". Can you… can you stay?"

"You want us to?" Tony asked, carefully.

"Yeah. Can you lie down with me for a while? Only until I fall asleep".

"Of course, honey" Steve said immediately. They both took of their jackets and shoes and each one took one side of the bed, his son between them. Peter put his head on Tony’s chest, putting his arm around his torso, and Steve put an arm around both of his boys, smiling in the darkness when Peter relaxed against his body. The blond kissed his sons head, tenderly.

"I can hear your heartbeats" he suddenly said". I usually can, if I focus, but now they’re so loud…"

"You want us to leave?" Tony asked.

"No, stay. I like it… it means you guys are really here".

After that, they kept silent. Steve started to run his fingers trough his son’s curls, and he made vague drawings on Tony’s lower back. His husband, who had his hand resting on his hip, made slow circles on it. Their plan was to leave when Peter fell asleep, but, not even twenty minutes later, the whole family was out. 

 

When Steve woke up, he felt at peace. It was something he had missed in a while, and it felt truly amazing. He opened his eyes do discover the reason: Tony and him were sleeping with their son in the middle, in Peter’s room. He quickly remembered all of the times Peter went to their bed as a little kid, and how many Sunday mornings were spent lazily in there, watching some show on TV. He started to run his fingers trough his son’s soft curls, again, and after a few minutes, Tony and Peter were waking up. Steve couldn’t see much, but he could sense, and even hear the change of breathing. 

"Good morning" Peter mumbled, snuggling closer to Tony’s chest". Papa, don’t stop, it was relaxing".

"It’s also the closest he’s going to get to really comb it".

"Really funny, Dad. I comb it every day".

"Okay, kiddo".

"You’re feeling better, son?"

"Yeah, I feel good. Senses are normal again. Actually, Fri, can you turn on the lights? Only 50% of intensity though, I don’t want to risk it".

"Sure thing, young sir".

Friday turned on the lights, and Peter smiled, content.

"Yeah, that’s nice" he said, incorporating. Steve copied him, and so did Tony with a sigh, not being a morning person". Thanks for staying".

"Thanks for letting us stay" Steve said. Peter bit his bottom lip then, nodding.

"Yeah, I… I’m sorry, Dads".

"About?" Tony asked, carefully.

"About being like this. You had to thank me because I let you stay! You’re my parents, I shouldn’t 'let you'".

"You’re a teenager" his dad said", and you were sick. It’s okay if you wanted to be alone".

"Specially if you were having a sensory overload, honey".

"Right…"

"Listen" Tony said, deciding to take on May’s advice", we know it’s been hard. We were apart for two years, Pete, and we all went trough some changes, specially you".

"Yeah…"

"But we’re still Dad and Pops, and you’re still our son Peter. Our Bambi. That hasn’t changed. And that is not going to change".

"Really?"

"Of course, son" Steve said this time, running a hand trough Peter’s hair". You’re stuck with us, sorry to say".

The teenager laughed good-heartedly, leaning on his father’s touch. It felt good to hear that, and he knew he had to be honest with them.

"It has been hard, the last two years" he confessed". I had to be so strong, you know. I had to protect May and then I had to stop myself from calling home everyday. I missed you".

"We know baby" murmured Steve, kissing his hairline.

"I just… May doesn’t get what’s like being a superhero. I can’t blame her, of course, but she doesn’t get it. I could talk to her, and I did frequently, but it was… it was weird. She got super worried, all the time, and I didn’t want that".

"So you shut up" Tony completed for him", because you wanted to protect her, and because you knew she didn’t and still doesn’t get what’s like being a superhero".

"Yeah…"

"We’re superheroes too, Peter" Steve said", so we get what that’s like. You know you can talk to us, right? We’re going to get scared if we see you hurt, but you do, too, if we’re injured".

"I know… I want to tell you guys everything, honestly, but I fear I’ll scare you guys away…"

"You’re not going to do that" Tony cupped his son face, looking at him with intensity and meaning". Your Pops told you: we’ll always be by your side".

"Thank you". 

"We need to sort things out" Steve said". We thought everything was going to be easy, but we need to talk about your schedule, and about the time you spend as Spiderman. We’ll tell each other everything, and that goes for all of our parts, alright?" both of his boys nodded" Good. This family won’t hold more secrets".

"That sounds good" Peter said", plus, I really wanted to tell you guys about the time I climbed Washington’s monument".

"You did what?" was heard from the vents.

"For fucks shake, Barton" Tony yelled", are you spying on us?!"

The vents opened and, to their surprise, both Clint and Bucky got out.

"We were exploring and heard you talking" Bucky explained", but we only got to hear the last sentences. Punk, you better explain that to me, too".

"Of course, Uncle Bucky".

"Then it’s settled" Clint said", we’re having a family breakfast. I’ll go to make some bacon!"

Bucky and Clint disappeared, going straight to the comunal floor. Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Can we buy them a dictionary that spells what 'privacy' means in every page? They don’t fucking get it, I think". 

His husband just laughed, shaking his head.

"I think they’ll never learn. What do you guys say? Breakfast?"

"Yes, please" Peter begged". I’m _starving"_. 

"Let’s go then" Tony looked at the celling for a moment". Fri, did you get a pic from before, when we were asleep?"

"Yes, Sir. You looked like an adorable family".

Tony smiled, following the loves of his life- his husband and their amazing and precious son- to the elevator, going down to the comunal floor.

"Good. It’s our new Christmas  Card".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this short story!
> 
> After this I've been working on a one shot. I still have to finish it, but I don't have a lot left. I don't know when I'm going to upload it, because this week everyone is going to be focusing on Infinity War, myself included.
> 
> I actually don't know when I'm going to see it. I know I have it kind of hard this weekend because I have to study way too much, but idk. Also, I can't go to any cinema, because I want to watch in it's original version, not the one my country is showing in every cinema. The voiceover is awful, and so is the translate they do of the dialogues. I hate it, and I hate I still have to wait to see it, which is ironic, because I don't want to see it, either. I want all of my faves to be alive, thank you so much. Also, I feel like I'm not emotionally prepared for the movie.
> 
> See you guys soon! (actually, do you want me to upload before infinity war?) Don't forget you can suggest any idea you have.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goooood! My best friend pulled through and came with me to see IW when I asked him! I saw it yesterday and I'm still kind of in shock. 
> 
> Because I don't want to give spoilers to the people who reads but hasn't seen the movie yet, I won't talk about the movie specifically in a while. I have already a one shot in mind, but I won't be posting it in a while, either.
> 
> Anyways, this is a one shot! Pretty long, but with IW I had so much motivation lmao. Enjoy!!
> 
> (also, a couple clarifications before we start: the rogues stay in Wakanda after Civil War, all of them. It's been like two years since it happened, and also: I wrote the majority of this before seeing Infinity War, so there's no spoiler nor something totally related to it)

Silence. That’s what Steve thought when he looked around. Just… silence. It was so different from the compound, from _home._ It made him miss it even more.

Not that Wakanda was a bad place. It was what T’Challa had promised them: a sanctuary, a place where they could all find peace. Bucky did, and Steve was happy for him. He, obviously, was not the same Bucky he knew from the ‘40s; but then again, he wasn’t the same Steve, either. Still, Bucky was better than ever. Wakandian tech and Shuri, the princess, had healed him. He was still cautious sometimes, and somedays were worse than others. Somedays he couldn’t even draw a smile, but… it was getting better.

The rest of his teammates, however, were not that good in there. Clint missed his family more than anything, and so did Scott. Wanda was still her angst self, missing Vision. Steve wished he could’ve helped her, but it was pretty impossible when he was feeling the same as her. Sam was, probably, the one who was holding it up the best. He seemed annoyed a lot of times, and he also had some bad days in where he just didn’t want to talk to anyone, but he was doing good. And Natasha… well, she had come after “betraying” Tony, and she had told them how things were when she left. Steve knew Tony had been hurt, and he felt like trash because of it. Natasha’s betrayal only made it worse. Thor and Bruce, who had come a few days prior alongside Loki (“ _my friends, he means no harm. Please try to accept him”)_ looked beyond confused, and, even though they thought the issue had been exaggerated in the end, they didn’t call the genius. And him?

Steve was a complete mess. He missed Tony more than anything, and it surprised him how that resembled the time he thought Bucky was dead. This time around, though, it was kind of even worse: when Bucky fell he tormented himself, but he knew Bucky wouldn’t hold it against him, and that it was a very human mistake. Now, however, he _knew_ Tony _hated_ him. He had lost Tony, but the genius was still very much alive ( _thank God)_ , albeit hurt beyond words. 

They were teammates, right? Steve thought they were friends, even. Really good friends. Maybe even something more, at one point (even though between them nothing had happened- Tony was with Pepper, as much as Steve hated it). He had done what he had done to protect Bucky- and also himself. He didn’t regret protecting his best friend, but he did regret the way he did it. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Tony’s face when he slammed the shield on his arc reactor. It haunted him and he barely slept. 

He also missed Tony, just Tony. The way he genuinely smiled (and how _beautiful he_ looked while doing so), ever so rarely; the wrinkles around his eyes, his laugh… he even missed how the engineer irritated him, how much he put him in the edge… he missed everything about the genius. He meant so much more to Steve than he initially thought.

Then again, he realised, it worked the same way with everybody else. Everybody missed the inventor more than they thought, but none of them dare to ask about him, nor call him. They knew he was going to be furious, so that was a huge no. Plus, too much of them had way too much pride. 

They usually distracted themselves with training. They knew something was coming, they knew they had to be prepared, so T’Challa had provided them with enough supplies to train a whole army. However, that day everybody was lazy, hanging around the living room they all shared. T’Challa came into the room and softly smiled. Honestly, he was a good man, and Steve was so thankful for everything he had done, specially because he knew they could be a pain in the ass, sometimes.

“Avengers” he greeted them. Steve grimaced when he said it. They were no longer Avengers, not really, and they all tried to tell the king, but he didn’t listen. To him, that was his way to call them”. Not so much energy today, I see”.

“It’s our lazy day” Clint said, sprawled on the floor, lazily combing Natasha’s hair with his fingers.

“How’s the training going, Captain?”

"It’s good, your Majesty. We’re getting better”.

“That’s great. We need to be prepared”.

“If we need that” Bruce suddenly said”, and we do, it’s because something bigger than us is coming. And if that’s so, then we need help. We need as many heroes as we can assemble”.

“And we will call them all” T’Challa said, nodding understandingly.

“Does than mean you’re thinking about calling the Man of Iron?”

“I do, Son of Odin” T’Challa nodded”, I think it’s safe to say we’ll need him”.

“Question is if he’ll come" Scott whispered”, after everything we’ve done to him and his team”.

“He’ll do it” T’Challa said ”. I haven’t really talked to him, but I know he was aware of this threat. And he seems like the one who wants to fight”.

“Stark is stubborn” Loki said “, but not stupid. As mad as he still can be, he knows the fate of the Earth: of the entire Universe, is more important than some pity discussion”.

“Were you looking for us to talk about this? “ Sam asked the king”.

“Yes, but also I… “ alarms interrupted the panther. Everyone was on their feet one second after, looking for danger”.

"What happens? “ T’Challa asked. One of his guards came running in.

“There’s a flying object we still have to identified penetrating our barriers. We don’t know if it’s an enemy, but we know it’s not one of ours”.

“Avengers “ Steve said “, let’s go to see what we can help with”.

They all nodded, running to the entrancealongside T’Challa. The Dora Milaje were there, ready to attack the object that was going to them. 

“Your order, my king “ somebody behind Steve said “, and we’ll shoot”. 

“Wait! “ T’Challa said, looking at his phone “. My sister has talked to me. She says she has identified it as friendly: no need to shoot”. 

They waited patiently then, discovering it was a Quinjet what was coming to them. The Avengers (and Loki) shared worried glances, not knowing who it could be. The Quinjet landed and, after barely a minute, the doors opened. To literally everyone’s surprise, a kid came out of it.

Well, it wasn’t _technically_ a kid. He was around fifteen, maybe sixteen years old, a little bit short. His hair was brown and combed back, but it was clear he had soft waves, with some curls around the edge. He had big, dark brown eyes, and Steve couldn’t help but think they resembled way too much Tony’s. He looked serious, and it made a contrast nobody liked against his young face. His clothes were the usual for a teenager: some jeans paired up with a t-shirt with some science pun (Steve actually heard Bruce _giggle_ behind him) and a jacket thrown over it, with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows. His gaze was almost wild, and he settled it on T’Challa, slightly bowing his head.

“Your Majesty”.

“Kid”the panther said, confused as to why a teenager was in his hangar “. Welcome to Wakanda. Do you come alone?”

“There’s nobody else in the Quinjet, Your Majesty, if that’s what you were asking”. 

“Alright. I fear I don’t know who you are, child, and I don’t know what you’re doing at my kingdom. Perhaps if you tell me we can help you”.

Steve admired T’Challa for acting like this was kind of normal. The kid took a deep breath, ready to talk. There was something about him that reminded Steve of someone, but he didn’t quite place it.

“I came because I need your help, Your Majesty. And trust me, I didn’t want to bother. You are my last recourse, and… yeah. So… I came here because you _have_ to help me”.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but why? We don’t have knowledge of you, son”.

“Because you own me one” he simply said. 

“Pardon me?”

“Well, you don’t actually own _me_ one. It’s my father who you’re in debt with. He helped you when you needed it, and he needs help, right now. As I said, I tried to not ask for your help, but now I’m obliged to”. 

“If I may ask “ the king said, sounding confused. The rest of the people gathered there were also lost “, who’s your father?”

The teenager took another deep breath, looking briefly at the Avengers, his gaze stopping for a second at Steve.

“Tony Stark “ he finally said. Everyone gapped then, looking at the teenager with more interest. Steve couldn’t believe his ears: Tony’s son? Tony didn’t have a son, he didn’t have kids. However, looking at the kid… he could see it. He had Tony’s eyes, and hair, and their noses did look kind of similar. Plus, the way… the way he talked and conducted himself: that was Tony.

“Tony Stark is your dad?” Scott asked, not truly believing it. The kid rolled his eyes at him then.

“Yeah, he’s Stark’s” Steve heard how Natasha murmured. He scoffed, but didn’t do anything else. 

“Mr.Stark”T’Challa suddenly said ”, I’m sorry, we didn’t know about your existence”.

“Yeah, well” Peter shrugged “, very few people did. We wanted it to be like that. However, this is more important than secrecy. My father is in danger, and I need your help”.

"Wait, hold the fuck up” Clint suddenly said “. Guys, we don’t have proof! Just words! For heaven’s shake, he’s a kid who has managed to enter Wakanda, who has violated their frontiers. For all we know he could be someone in a disguise. Why are we believing him that easily?”

“Stark!” Shuri’s voice suddenly resounded in the hangar, and the princess was in no time next to them, having her braids in two high buns. The teenager smiled then, nodding.

“Princess Shuri” 

The princess went up to him, doing both doing a weird handshake and then embracing briefly. T’Challa had his mouth wide open.

“Shuri, do you know him?”

“Yeah! We’re pen pals! Plus, who do you think helped him enter Wakanda? By the way, dude, you own me one”.

“Noted, Leia”. 

Shuri rolled her eyes, punching his shoulder lightly.

“How did you two even meet?” Sam asked, bewildered.

“Oh, I was trying to hack into Stark Industries a few weeks ago, but he stopped me and convinced me not to do it”.

“He stopped you?” T’Challa asked, surprised.

“I hacked SI way too many times” Peter said “, just because of boredom or because I wanted to mess a little bit with my dad. No biggie”.

“Exactly” Shuri said.

“Still, he managed to convince you to not hack something?”

“He had a really good offer to stop me. He offered me an amazing alternative”.

“Oh my God, what did you do?” her brother asked, scared. Both of the teenagers smiled widely and it was Peter who answered.

“We hacked into Times Square and had all the panels display Vines for 12 hours straight. Best compilation ever”.

“People were going nuts” Shuri smiled “, it was awesome. And he even send me a video! Laughed for days. I still do”.

“Oh, my dear god…” Bruce sighed. Yeah, the kid was Tony’s “. And your… your dad let you?”

“New York’s mayor had pissed him off, so he thought it was funny. It messed with him”.

“Of course…” the scientist sighed again. 

“So” the mini Stark said “, are you going to help me or not?”

“I still don’t know what should I help you with, Mr. Stark. Maybe if you told me…”

“Sorry, I can’t. Only if you agree”.

“You want him to help you without knowing what he’s agreeing to?” Wanda asked, surprised.

“Boy, I fear I can’t do that…”

“Brother”- Shuri said “, you know I try to not interfere at your decisions as king. I believe you are wise and you know what you’re doing, the major part of the time. However, you should listen to him”.

“Shuri…”

“You own Stark one. Stark senior, I mean. He let you fight alongside him when you wanted revenge for our father’s death. I know you were too caught up in your grief, and I know you changed your mind, proven by the Rogue Avengers being here. And, yes, maybe Mr. Stark accepted you in his team because he needed more people, but the fact is that he helped you when you needed it. So you should help him, too. Plus, that’s what a good king does”.

“I want to help him, Shuri, but if I don’t know the problem…”

“I trust him” his sister said, resting a hand on the teenager’s forearm, gripping it “. If you don’t trust him, then trust me, because he has my trust. Please, brother. I’m asking you to help him and his father”.

T’Challa pursed his lips, thinking deeply. Steve watched him, tense. The moment he knew Tony was in danger he wanted to help, but he didn’t know what this kid thought of him, or if he was going to accept _his_ help. He wanted T’Challa to agree: he needed it. The king sighed, then finally nodded.

“Alright, we’ll help you, Mr. Stark. Come with me, I’ll show you a room so you can rest from your trip and then we’ll discuss”.

“I don’t need to rest” the teenager said “, I don’t really have the time. We don’t have the time. If you take me to any more private room so we can discuss everything…"

“Of course, if that’s what you want…follow me”.

The kid nodded, and followed the king. Natasha coughed then.

“Can we go? We want to help, too”.

“Oh” the teenager did “. Do you?”

There was something in the way he said it that told all of the heroes he knew all that had happened between his father and them, and clearly he wasn’t the biggest fan of them.

“We do” Bucky said, surprisingly. Tony’s son looked at him for two seconds, then nodded and turned around, going over to T’Challa’s side. They all went in silence to one of the conference rooms, and they all took seat around one table, placed in the middle of the huge room. Only the teenager didn’t sit.

“Okay” T’Challa said “. Now we’re in privacy, Mr.Stark. Could you tell us the problem?”

The kid sighed, and just then Steve realised it was a freaking kid. How bad things were for him to be there?

“My dad has been kidnapped” he finally said “, by a force we don’t truly know”.

“Kidnapped” Bruce repeated “, like Afghanistan?”

“Not quite. My dad… Tony” he corrected himself so everyone else was going to get it. Steve was grateful: it was kind of weird to talk about Tony like that, like someone’s dad “, he knows something big is coming. He tried to tell you all, before. He and Doctor Strange were working together…”

“Who?” Clint asked.

“An ally” Peter told him, bothered by being interrupted”, they’re working together to try to slow the problem down”. 

“Thanos” Steve said “. That’s who you’re talking about, right?”

“Yeah, him. Tony and Strange were working on it. Tony, he… he had a mission. It wasn’t even that dangerous, but something went wrong, we don’t know _what_ because FRIDAY lost connection, and he just _vanished_. That was three days ago. We’ve been trying to find him, but we’ve had no luck this far. I’m not asking for you to find him, but I’m asking you to help me at least locate him, if it’s possible”.

“And you have no idea who took him?” T’Challa asked.

“No, not really. Tony was just going to see a gosht town in where rare activity was happening. Strange thought it was suspicious enough to go look”.

“This Strange” Thor said “, I believe I know him”.

“Yeah” Stark said “, he helped you, once”.

“Oh, right” Loki said”,I remember him. Reminded me of Stark, actually”. 

“So can we trust him?” Sam asked.

“Yes” Thor said “, friend Strange has my trust”.

“Do you have something for us to work with?” T’Challa asked the teenager. He nodded. 

“Yeah, actually…”

“Wait, wait” Scott said “, do we even know your name?”

True, Steve realised. He was Tony’s son, but he didn’t have a name. The blond wondered what it could be: he thought ‘Howard’ for a few moments, but quickly dismissed it. Maybe as a middle name, though…

“Oh, yes, sorry, I’m…”

“Fuck, what’s that?!” Bucky suddenly yelled. Everybody gaped as they saw a portal being opened.

“Calm down!” the teenager exclaimed “It’s friendly”.

How in hell was that friendly? Steve wanted to ask. It didn’t seem like it, at least, and the kid had it behind him, not even bothering to turn around for more than two seconds to look and check if it was, in fact, friendly. So, how did he…?

“Peter Benjamin Edward Stark!” someone exclaimed. The teenager closed his eyes and grimaced.

“Shit, I thought I had more time…” he whispered. Then he opened his eyes and put on a smile, the same one Tony had for when he had to talk to paparazzis, and turned around “. Uncle Platypus! Great to see you, how you doin’?”

Rhodey stepped out of the portal then, and Steve saw how Sam drew out a breath. Steve smiled gently at him, and looked at James, who, surprisingly (a really nice surprise, actually) was standing on his two feet, with an exterior looking-like skeleton. He looked good, but an annoyed expression was pasted on his face. Behind him Vision got out, too, and finally a middle age man with a weird cloak and the same facial hair as Tony. 

“That’s Strange” he heard Thor whisper. 

“How am I doing?” Rhodes exclaimed “How am I doing?! For fucks shake, Peter, you disappeared!”

So, Tony’s son was named Peter. Peter Benjamin Edward Stark… if fit him, Steve thought. Wasn’t Edward Tony’s middle name as well?

“Technically, I left when you weren’t looking, I didn’t disappear”. 

Rhodes massaged his forehead, sighing. Behind him, Vision and Strange were trying to hide their smiles. 

“Holy heaven… Peter, you can’t do this. With your father gone I’m supposed to take care of you, as your godfather. You almost gave me a heart attack”.

“But…”

“We’re working on getting Tony back, Peter, you can’t give us more problems”.

“You were working way too slow for my liking, Uncle Rhodey”. Peter said, shrugging. 

“So your solution was to run away to Wakanda?!”

“I’m sorry, did you have a better idea? Shuri helped me, so I didn’t break any laws, don’t worry. Plus, you know I would’ve been fine, I know how to take care of myself”. 

“I know you do, junior, but that’s not the point. The point is that you should’ve stayed home, not come to freaking Africa! And, you know the worst part? The worst part is that Tony is going to be furious with _me_! He’ll go nuts once he realises his precious baby boy has flew out under my care. And, no, he won’t even be mad at you: he’ll be _proud_ of how well you’ve been working this all out. But he’s going to be furious at _me”_.

“Sorry, Uncle Rhodey. Can I do something to make you feel better? Like, I don’t know, Princes Diaries’s merchandise?”

The Colonel sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air, and the Avengers (Rogue and not) had to fight against a smile. Holy hell, the kid was Tony’s son without a doubt. T’Challa coughed softly then, and Rhodes finally realised how many people were in the room. He looked at his nephew then.

“How much have you told them?”

“Mr. Stark told us Mr. Stark senior has disappeared under rare circumstances” T’Challa explained. Strange nodded then, steeping up.

“He did, three days ago. He went to check an unidentified force. Things were going smoothly, but he said he saw something strange, and then we lost connection. Unfortunately, Tony didn’t have the time to describe us what he saw, but there’s information we could use. We just have to get to it”.

“How?” Steve finally spoke up.

“FRIDAY” Vision answered “. This morning we discovered she collected some information, but it’s codified under the most strict of the protocols”. 

“Then we just have to hack it” Natasha said. Rhodey shook his head.

“It doesn’t work like that, Miss Romanoff. The moment FRIDAY senses the minimum hacking, everything is going to be deleted”. 

“Then, how are we getting this information?” Bruce asked. Peter spoke again.

“I’ll get it”.

“Kid, you heard Vision” Clint said “, it’s under the most strict of the protocols”.

“And he’s the only one who can get through it” James said “. Tony made it so only he could guess the password”. 

“Why him?” Sam asked “He’s just a kid”.

“And he’s also the person Tony trusts the most in this world” Rhodey shrugged “. It’s his son, after all”.

“Let’s stop questioning my dad’s decisions now, shall we?” Peter asked “You Majesty, may I…”

“Sure, go ahead”.

Peter nodded. Rhodey gave him something he took out of his jacket and Peter went to the table, close to Wanda and Clint, who were looking at him curious. He put what Rhodey gave him on the table. A second later, an holographic screen was displayed.

“Fri, you there?”

“I am here, young sir” the AI’s voice came to life, and everyone who knew her couldn’t help but smile “. Ready to work?”

“Dying to” Peter smiled, cracking his knuckles in the way Steve had seen Tony do a lot of times. He smiled fondly at the memory “. Okay, girl, I’m trying to get to the info my father left. I need to get to it”.

“Your father put a code on it, young sir. However, my programming declares you’re the only one allowed to try for the password. May I display it?”

“Please, Fri” Peter displayed the hologram in front of him, in true Tony’s fashion. FRIDAY projected a ton of numbers… so many Steve lost count of them. 

“Okay, that’s going to take days…” Clint sighed.

“Don’t underestimate me” Peter said, and moved them so they were surrounding him. He played with a few of them, frowning as he thought deeply on his father’s riddle.

“Do you know what it could be?” Wanda asked after a few moments. Peter raised his hand, shutting her up. 

“I think I got it” he murmured. Natasha raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“Do you?”

“FRIDAY, pull all of the numbers following the order my dad introduced them”.

“C’mon, Tony doesn’t have the patience to put them all one by one” Bruce complained. However, FRIDAY did change the order of the numbers.

“Okay, yes…” he said, getting rid of some of the numbers.

“Does he know exactly what he’s doing?” Steve asked “Because all of these numbers do all but be clear…”

“He’s a genius” Rhodes said “, like Tony. He knows exactly what he’s doing, Rogers”.

“Fri, pull out for me the information of the movie ‘Bambi’, from 1942, please”.

Steve had to suppress a smile. He actually remembered that movie, and how much he had cried while seeing it. He shared a knowingly glance with Bucky, who was smiling gently at him, like he knew exactly what he was thinking of. Of course he did. 

“I’m sorry, why are you looking at a Disney movie?” Scott asked. Bucky glared at him to make the man shut up.

"Let Stark junior work” he said. Peter nodded towards him, actually grateful. 

“ _Bambi”_ FRIDAY started to say “, _is a 1942 American animated film_ _directed by David Hand_ _(supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney_ _and based on the book Bambi, a Life in the Woods_ _by…”_

_“_ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” Peter interrupted her “, I don’t care about that. Search for the animators”.

“Animators known:  Maurice "Jake" Day, Preston Blair, Jack Bradbury, Merle Cox…”

“Who was in charge of Bambi? Even, who was in charge of his face?”

“That would be Marc Davis, born on March 1913. He died on January 12, 2000”. 

“Marc Davis, right… way too easy” the teenager sighed.

“That was easy?” Sam whispered, surprised“It would’ve took me days”.

“Stark people have different measurements” Natasha replied.

“Okay, Fri, did he have children?”

“Negative”.

“Spouses?”

“Two. His first, Marion Davis. It is not sure when they got married, and when the marriage ended. His second lasted until he died, name: Alice Davis”. 

Peter sighed, looking at the numbers while trying to come up with a solution.

“C’mon, Dad, what were you trying…” he murmured. 

“Do you want our help, son of Stark?” Thor asked, gently“Maybe we can add something useful to the table”. 

Peter looked at him then with bright eyes, like Thor had discovered the world.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed, happiness on his voice “That’s it, I think I know how to get through. Okay, let me…”

He started to work again, incredibly fast. The Avengers were looking at him, trying not to get dizzy by how quick everything was moving. 

“How old is he?” Loki asked, truly curious. Stark’s son seemed quite the young man. However, his eyes held way more than the usual misgardian teenager…

“Sixteen” Rhodes answered, not taking his eyes off of his nephew. Sam whistled, and Steve could understand why: he already had guessed Peter was around that age, but have it confirmed was a slap to reality. They had a kid there, with them “. Pete, do you have it?”

“Yeah” Peter said “. Friday, display for me all of the years important for Marc Davis” several years appeared then on screen, and Peter looked at them, nodding “. Alright. Numbers are still in the order Dad introduced them, right?”

“Indeed they are, Young Sir”. 

“Okay. Take all of the numbers who make a combination of all of the years here displayed. The key is not what I should add to this: the key is to make it simple”. 

“Nice observation, Young Sir”FRIDAY complied, and a huge part of the numbers were out, then. 

“Display the restart numbers in front of me, please” he asked. FRIDAY did so “. Take of the non-binary. Put it in order from introduction again, please”. 

“Of course, boss junior”.

Peter frowned, looking at the numbers, and the rest of the people who were gathered there looked tense. If Peter failed, the information was going away, and Tony would be totally helpless. Steve could not permit that: he needed to see Tony again, he needed to say he was sorry, and maybe he needed to tell him how he really felt, even if it that was going to take a little longer. He had faith in Peter, though, because he seemed like a smart young man, and he was Tony’s son. Plus, if the genius left the password to him it’d had to be because Peter was going to be able to solve it. The room was silent, and suddenly they heard and saw how Peter smiled widely. He took out a few more numbers, and then put the remaining in a certain orden. The panel turned green.

“What does that mean?”Thor asked.

“Password correct, Young Sir” FRIDAY answered, cheerful. Everybody let relief sighs, and Rhodey embraced briefly his godson. 

“Knew you could do it, junior”.

Peter was smiling, too, proud of himself. However, a video was suddenly displayed. Almost everyone recognised it as Tony’s lab, messy as ever. No one was there, but Tony was quick to appear on frame. Steve drew a breath, taking in his appearance. It was clear he had filmed it in a rush, probably late at nigh: his hair was a little bit messy, and he had the look on his eyes that said he was up to something important. He looked kind of a wreck, but he looked _good._ Steve had yet to meet another human being who looked that great being a human wreck. Tony was, in one word, _beautiful._

_"Hey, Pete_ ” the engineer began to talk, smiling warmly at the screen, making Steve feel butterflies. That smile was so rare to see on Tony… and it was filled with so much love towards his only son. Peter quirked up when he saw his father, getting closer to the screen. They did look alike, everyone thought “. _So you guessed the password, being the little shit you are. Not surprised there, to be honest. I knew you could do it_ ” he laughed a little, and Peter smiled in return. More than before, Steve knew they had to rescue Tony. Not for them, not for him anymore, but for Peter. The kid needed his father. Tony coughed lightly then, gaining all of their attentions “. _Alright, mio caro, I don’t have that much time, and you have to listen to me, okay? Because if you’re seeing this, then I’ve fucked up, big time. Listen, this mission I’m heading to? It’s not so innocent. Stephen says it’s some rare force, but I know it’s more than that. I don’t know how it’s gonna go, going there alone. So, I’m leaving all of the information I’ve gathered up until now. With it, in the right hands, you’ll be able to resolve it, and hopefully get me back. Sorry for not being honest with all of you, but I don’t want to make a big fuss out of this. If something goes wrong, then you have this video.Oh, and before I forget: listen to your Uncles, would yah?_ ”

“See?” Rhodey said “You should listen to us”.

“ _I know you can do this, Peter”_ Tony kept saying “, _as much as I hate throwing all of this responsibility at you when you’re this young. Trust the right people, son, and be brave. Credo in te, piccolo mio. Ti voglio bene”._

_“_ Ti voglio bene, papà _”_ Peter whispered before the video went away, tons and tons of windows opening with information.

“I didn’t know Stark could speak Italian” Wanda said.

“His mother” Rhodey told her, clearly annoyed “was Italian. She taught Tony when he was a kid and he has been speaking Italian to Peter since he was born. Pete” he got closer to his nephew, resting a hand on his shoulder “, are you ok?”

“Yes” Peter said, his eyes not leaving the new info that was still displaying “, I’m okay. I just… can we go through this information? Dad doesn’t have that much time, and we need to get him back, Uncle Rhodey”

“Yes, Peter, we’ll work on it” he told his godson, looking at everyone else in the room. Everybody got the message: let’s get to work. So they did. The information Tony had left them was actually super useful, so they had a lot of work. Steve looked at Peter every time he got the chance. Maybe the teenager said he was okay, but Steve knew the look he had in eyes way too well. Peter was so much like his father, so the Captain knew he was worse than he let on. Still, he worked side by side with him, and tried to smile when they exchanged looks. However, Peter did not returned them all of the times (something Steve could actually understand). 

A few hours later, they almost had it. They only needed a few more hours, so they decided to rest for a while. Almost all of the work left was FRIDAY’s, and she needed a little bit of time. 

“Tomorrow morning we’ll talk again” T’Challa said “. Hopefully this will get done soon. For the visitors, you already have rooms prepared for you”. 

Everyone nodded, and Rhodey went directly to his nephew.

“Peter, let’s talk” he said, putting an arm around his shoulders. Peter sighed, but let his Uncle drag him out of the room. Vision, Strange and T’Challa went after them.

“Oh… someone’s in trouble” Scott laughed. Clint went to the door, opening it a little.

"Clint, seriously?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know about you, but I want to know more about this kid. C’mon, Stark had him hidden for sixteen years. I can’t be the only one curious”.

Natasha went to his side, wanting to hear something too and only shrugged when Steve looked at her disapprovingly. Slowly, everyone went to the door, and Bucky looked at his best friend smiling.

“Come on, punk, we all know you want to know about Stark’s kid more than anyone”. 

Steve blushed, but still went with them. Rhodey had Peter a few meters from the door, with both of his hand on the teen’s shoulders. The rest of the heroes where nowhere to be found.

“You’re mad at me” Peter was saying “, right?”

“Peter, I…” Rhodey sighed, trying to find the right words. It was hard: Tony and Peter’s mind worked so fast, and they usually were sharp and went straight to the point “listen, I’m not mad. But I was so worried about you, I…”

“I understand, Uncle Rhodey. Dad is nowhere to be found, and then I go away without telling you, I… I get you were worried, and I’m sorry. But I had to do this, okay?” 

“Okay, sweetheart. Still, you could’ve waited. Come to Wakanda? Where the Rogues are?”

“Rhodey, I had no other option!”

“Yes, you did. You see, Pete, this is what happens with your father and you: you always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, you always think you have to do everything that it’s on your control and more”.

“Because…”

“No, zip it. Peter: you don’t have to do this, alright? You’re sixteen, and I don’t want you to get hurt. Your dad doesn’t want you to get hurt”.

“Uncle Rhodey, I _have_ to do this! If I loose Dad, I… he’s everything I have”.

“Peter…”

“If I loose him I’m alone, Uncle Rhodey. And I can’t live without him”.

“Peter, you’re not alone. You have me, and Pepper, and Happy, and May… you have your friends, too. Honey, you’ll never be alone”. 

“Rhodey, no one in the world gets me like my father does. I can’t loose him, not after Mom… I need to find him”.

“And I get that, I truly do, but…”

“I know I should’ve told you. And for that, I’m sorry. But this is what’s right”. 

“Okay, Peter. Listen, how about you get some sleep? When’s the last time you got some rest?”

“I… I don’t know”.

“Then it’s settled. Go to sleep, kiddo, and I promise you I’ll wake you up when something happens”.

“Okay. But you should get rest, too, Uncle Rhodey. Extremis works great, but you also need to lay down for a bit”.

“And I’ll do it, too, I promise. I’m so tired after being your nanny that I could sleep for twenty years…”

“You’re not my na-”

“Be his godfather! Tony said. It’ll be fun and easy! Tony said” Rhodey whined. Steve smiled, knowing the Colonel was only doing it to distract his nephew. They both started to go away in the hallway “. He didn’t tell me I was going to play mom to two geniuses”.

“Ha ha, Uncle Platypus. You’re so funny”.

“I know”.

“By the way, you think I could talk to Bruce Banner tomorrow? I was having a melt down in my head when I met him”.

“Yeah, I thought you would. We’ll see tomorrow morning, Petey”.

They disappeared. Steve could still hear them, but chose not to. The heroes went to sit around the table again, looking at each other in silence.

“I’m just curious” Scott finally spoke up “, is the kid like Stark? Or is he different and a whole other person than his father?”

“He’s quite like Tony” Steve said “, he… he has the same eyes, and the same smile. And they have the same way of telling you they’re okay when they’re not”.

“They’re strong” Natasha said “. And smart, and they know how to play with that”.

“I’ve never seen Tony that… I don’t know, relaxed” Sam said “. Even when I thought I did, he was different in that video”.

“There’s a whole other side of him we didn’t know” Clint said “. Fuck, he’s a _dad_. And that’s the last thing I thought Tony Stark would be”. 

“Why didn’t he tell us?” Wanda asked“He talks about trust, but he doesn’t trust us”.

"I’m sure there’s a lot of things we don’t know” Bucky said “. And Stark’s son seems to be quite the guy. He managed to come here alone”. 

“Kid is smart” Loki said “, that’s for sure”.

“Bruce, you didn’t know either?” Thor asked. The scientist shook his head.

“No, never. I mean, some days Tony had to leave early, and I thought it was kind of weird… and some days he left all of the sudden. I always wondered why, but now I guess it was because of Peter”.

“Guys” Steve said “, we have to get Tony back”. 

“Yes, Steve, we know. You have this big fat crush on him” Clint teased. Steve glared at him, trying to ignore his own blushing and ignoring the smirks of everyone.

“Shut up. I didn’t say it because of that”.

“Yeah, right…”

“I said it because of Peter” Steve interrupted the archer “. You saw what I saw: Peter needs his father. We have to get Tony back because his son cannot loose him”.

“He’s right” Sam sighed “, Stark’s kid deserves his father. We have to get him”. 

“Well, then we should go to rest for a bit, too” Bruce said, standing up and cracking his sore muscles”. We need all of our minds at one hundred percent of our capability to get this done, so it’s a good idea getting some rest.

“I’m with him” Bucky said, copying his actions and then clapping Steve’s shoulders “. C’mon, punk. I know you want to help the little guy, but you need to rest. Go to your room, tomorrow we’ll work”. 

 

 

Sooner than they had anticipated, they knew where Tony was being kept, and were ready to get him. Because it was a rare force they were fighting against, and one that could take and inhabilite Iron Man, a lot of them were going. Only Wanda, Vision, Loki and Bruce were staying. Oh, and of course, Peter. Not like Peter was okay with that.

“No, Peter, you can’t come with us” Rhodey said for the thousandth time. 

“But, Uncle Rhodey…!”

“Peter” Steve said to him “, can we talk?”

Rhodey tried to kill the Captain with his eyes, but Steve ignored him, focusing on Tony’s son. Peter looked at him serious, but ended up nodding. Steve took him away from his godfather, closer to the rogues.

"What do you want?” Peter snarled. Steve sighed, running a hand trough his hair.

“Okay, first of all, I want to clear the air between us. I know you’re mad at what I’ve done…”

“I’m not mad” Peter interrupted him. Steve looked up at the young genius, surprised. He could heard everyone else having the same reactions, beside him.

"You’re not?”

“Don’t get me wrong… I don’t like it. But I get what you did, you know. I mean, I could kill for my father, or my best friend. And you… you woke up in a different world, seventy years ahead of your time. Everything you knew was gone, and almost everyone you knew was gone as well. And even when you had a life in this century, a good life, you find out your best friend is alive. Not only alive, but trapped. And it’s not only amazing to find out he’s alive after seventy years: it’s amazing to find out he’s alive when you thought he died even before you disappeared into the ice. You didn’t want to lose him again, am I right?”

“U-uh… yeah” Steve mumbles. Leave it to Tony’s son to leave him speechless.

“Right. I can’t relate to waking up in another century, but I get what’s like to don’t want to loose what means home to you. I’m not mad about what you did: I’m mad about _how_ you did it, Captain Rogers. I get everything was a mess, and I’m not the one who’s going to tell you my father was a perfect angel. Both of you made mistakes. But… Siberia? Really, dude? That was beyond shitty”.

“I know, and I’m sorry”.

“I know you’re sorry, Sir. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay. I’m mad at how you did it, and I’m mad at how you acted afterwards. You know, one thing my father has taught me all of my life is how we act towards our mistakes. He has made many, we all make them, but the key is what we do with them. If you make a mistake, then you accept it, you earn it, and you make everything that’s in your hand to solve it. Not send a letter and a fucking _flip phone._ However, I’m not mad. You’re rescuing my father, right now. I can’t be mad at you when you’re going to risk your well being for him. Also, I know you’ve been kind of lost without him”.

“How?”

“It’s the same with Dad, as much as he tries to deny it. He can’t, I know him too well”. 

“Right” Steve nodded, trying to ignore the warmness he felt in his heart. Damn it, he had something to tell the kid “. Listen, Peter, I’ve heard your discussion with Colonel Rhodes. And I have to agree with him”.

“I can hold my own, Captain”. 

“And I have no doubt about that, son” Steve said, trying to convince the teenager to stay “. But you’re not an Avenger, you can’t fight like us. We can’t let you to come with us. It’s going to be dangerous, and we want to rescue your Dad, not having to explain to him why his son is injured. So, please Peter, listen to your Uncle, and stay here. We can get your Dad back without your help, from this point on”.

“Fine” Peter sighed. Rhodes looked at Steve then gratefully, and nodded towards him to tell him so “. I’ll stay”.

“Thank you, Peter. I promise we’ll bring your father to you, alright?”

Peter nodded, and, after a light clap on his shoulder from the Captain, went to say goodbye to his godfather and Strange. Then they all got into the Quinjet. 

“What you did is impressive” Rhodey said, taking a seat “. It’s hard for Peter to obey”. 

“So, like his father?” Clint asked, looking at his arrows.

“Peter listens more than Tony” Stephen said. Steve looked at him warily: the sorcerer had barely talked, so he didn’t know what to think about him “. But he’s young, and has a strong character. And he’s a genius, so he knows when he’s right. That’s why it’s hard for him to listen to someone who’s in the wrong. Pretty common for geniuses”.

“If you don’t mind me asking” Bucky said “, what about his family? The rest of them” Bucky said.

“That’s a good question” T’Challa “. What about his mother? Isn’t she worried about him?”

Rhodey bit his bottom lip before talking, taking his time.

“Peter’s mom died when he was six” he finally said.

“Oh, Dear God…” Clint whispered “That’s why he’s so desperate to get his father. I mean, I get it because it’s his father, but it’s also because he has no one else”.

“Basically. Actually, Barton, I think you knew her. Same goes for Miss Romanoff”. 

“Wait, how so?” Natasha asked.

“She was… a S.H.I.E.L.D agent” Rhodey confessed “. Her husband was one as well. Mary and Richard…”

“Parker” Clint filled for him “. They died years ago…”

“Yeah”.

“Those were Peter’s parents?” Natasha asked, slightly surprised.

“Mom and Step Dad. It’s not like she took care of him, she… was a brilliant lady, one of the only relationships Tony had when he was young. They broke up but she was already pregnant with Peter. When he was born Mary decided to give him to Tony. She married Richard, and visited Peter every once in a while. She was a remarkable lady, just not… made to be a mom”. 

“Does he know?” Steve asked“Peter. Does he…?”

“Yeah. Tony thought it was fair for him to know, so he told him when he was twelve. He took it okay. Didn’t remember much about them, anyway” the Colonel shrugged. Steve decided to talk again.

“Why didn’t Tony tell us? And who actually knew?”

“Listen, it’s complicated, and something Tony himself should explain. The only thing you need to know right now is Tony didn’t make it public because he wanted Peter to have a normal childhood. Tony’s life has been broadcasted since he was born, and he didn’t want his son to go trough the same stuff. Only me, Pepper, Happy and Peter’s Aunt knew”. 

“Vision and Strange did, too” Sam pointed out.

“Vision knew because JARVIS knew, being Tony’s AI. Strange knows because right now things have changed so much back in New York. The world still doesn’t know about it, but more people close to the Starks do. The world will know once Peter is a little bit older, or when he is sure about it”. 

Everyone remained silent after that. Steve knew Tony was in his right to shut up about his kid and he respected it. He still felt hurt, though, even if he knew it was kind of hypocritical, with him shutting up about Bucky. Still, he wished Tony said something about Peter to him, maybe tell him stories about his son as a kid. Funny stories, sad, emotional… he didn’t care, as long as they were about Tony and Peter. He wanted, irrationally maybe, to be a part of their lives.

And Peter… hell, the kid was already so much like Tony. Fly a Quinjet to Wakanda? Befriend the princess? Solve his father’s riddle, and then work side by side with Bruce Banner as it was nothing? (well, he was a little star-struck, Steve thought, but that was beside the point) and, more importantly: being able to make the Captain America loose his words? Yeah, all of that was Tony. But, at the same time, all of that was Peter. The teenager managed to be like his father while being his own person, something Steve admired. He still could see some innocence on his eyes, and he was this bright, over-excited kid. He was pure, as much as he was trying to look tougher. 

“Cap” Sam was in front of him all of the sudden, looking down at him with a fond smile. _Damn it,_ Steve mentally sighed, _how long was I thinking? “_ we’re here”.

Steve nodded, and they all quickly designed a plan. It was a simple mission, apparently, but what worried them was what was inside. Anything able to deactivate FRIDAY was powerful enough to worry. Sam went to fly around the bunker they ended up at, Bucky, Natasha and Clint exited the Quinjet next. Strange created a portal and left, too, and lastly Steve got out, with Thor and Rhodey. The God of Thunder quickly parted ways, tho, going to help Sam, and that left Steve with the Colonel. 

“Not the partner I would’ve imagined” Rhodey said “, but it’ll do”.

“Colonel, I’m sorry for…”

“I know you are, Rogers. And I know I’m actually more mad than Tony, the selfless idiot he is. I also know you want to get him safe as much as I do, so let’s work together right now, okay?”

“Of course. But I’m curious, wouldn’t you better in the air?”

“I have the blueprints of this place, so right now I’m better at the ground. Is everyone ready?”

Collective “yes” were heard throughout the coms, and nodded approvingly. 

“Okay” Steve said “, let’s get our friend back”. 

It was going well, Steve thought. They were fighting like a team, and it felt _good._ Better than anything he had felt since Civil War. The only thing missing was Tony. Rhodey and him were working well together, better than he thought they would. Everything was going great, and then… the alarms went off. Rhodey and Steve started to run, and when they turned around a corner, a lot of guards came in. They both started to fight, an just as Steve was finishing one of them, he felt how another one was going behind him. He finished with the one he was fighting but before he could turn around he heard a weird noise. When he did turn, he saw the guard was glued to the floor by…a web? A little figure in red and blue dropped before him, and before Steve could even react, he took on the rest of the guards. Steve opened his mouth, surprised, and he heard how Rhodey sighed beside him.

“For fucks shake, Peter, what did I tell you about staying in Wakanda?”

Steve opened his mouth wider, and even more when the figure in front of him took off his mask to discover the face of Peter Stark. His hair was messy and in loose curls, and he had a cocky smile on his face.

“And what did I tell you about following orders? You know I’m not really good at doing so”. 

“Peter…”

“I promise I won’t put myself in danger, Uncle Rhodey. I’ll web as many people as I can so they don’t injure any of you”. 

“Try to be safe, or your dad is going to definitely kill me” Rhodey finally said, knowing it was his only option by that point. Peter was not going back to the Quinjet. 

“Okay, Uncle Rhodey. Karen will alert me if something goes wrong, don’t worry. I have everything under control”. 

He shot a web at the ceiling and disappeared, mask on again. Steve looked at Rhodey still with his mouth opened.

“Surprise” the Colonel said “, Peter’s also a superhero”.

“What?” came from the coms.

“Dang it, I thought you guys weren’t listening. Yeah, he’s a superhuman. I was trying to at least keep that a secret. Now, can we focus again on this mission?”

Everyone sighed, but obeyed. Steve looked at Rhodey briefly, not seeing Peter there anymore.

“Tony lets him do this?”

“He tried to stop him, but it was pretty much impossible. It’s a long story, Steve, but Tony is not an irresponsible father”.

“I wasn’t thinking that”.

Rhodey only nodded, and they both kept advancing into the bunker. Steve saw Bucky once, but he disappeared quickly.

“They must of been alerted we were coming” Clint complained.

“I honestly think it’s more of an internal problem” Natasha said, and paused for a moment to take on another guard “. They seem surprised when they see us”.

“It’s weird” Bucky agreed. Just then, Steve and Rhodey arrived at the center of the bunker. A lot of cries and hits were heard from the inside of the room they were standing before.

“Something’s going on there” Steve said “. Guys, you haven’t found Tony yet, right?”

“Not yet, Captain” Clint answered. Steve looked at Rhodey, and then gestured to the door. Rhodey nodded, and Steve kicked it, breaking it and sending it to the floor. What was inside was beyond surprising. The room was big and almost empty. There was dust and blood almost all over the place, and a chair in the middle. Some bodies were scattered through the floor, some unconscious and some dead. And, suddenly, someone was standing right beside Rhodey.

“Took you long enough” Tony said. Steve’s heart stopped then, taking at the genius’s appearance. He had some broken jeans and t-shirt, his hair was a mess and he was bruised and bloodied, but, good God, he was _gorgeous._ Rhodey laughed then, turning to the engineer.

“Fuck, Tony… are you okay?” He asked, embracing his best friend “You had us worried to death”. 

“I’m fine, Rhodey. Those idiots thought they could handle me”. 

“So you were the reason the alarms went off” Steve said. He didn’t mean to say those words, it wasn’t what he pictured he would say first after retuning with Tony, but he did.The inventor just looked at him and put on a shy smile on his face.

“Oops, I guess. Fancy seeing you here, Capsicle. What is he doing here, Platypus? “he asked, turning around to face his best friend.

“Is a long story, Tony, but he came here to help”.

“We have to get out of here” the Captain interrupted the friends then “. Before more people come, we need you to get to safety. Tony, do you need help? We’ll have to run”

“I’m fine, Rogers, I can run on my own. Let’s get out of this, it’s a mess”.

They left the room, running through the corridors to get out of that place. 

“Guys, we got Tony back!” Steve yelled through the coms “. So everyone to the Quinjet, now!”

“Wait, aren’t we going to check who this people are?” Sam asked. Steve wasn’t quite sure what to answer. Yes, it was a good idea. Tony was able to get the guards that were in his room, but they still could capture him, so they were a threat. 

“They know we’re here, they’re coming to get us” Bucky replied “we’re not going to recollect information like this”.

“Still, Sam’s right” Steve said, sighing “We need to know what’s going on here”.

“I know it” Tony said, startling the soldier.

“You do?”

“What do you think I’ve been doing here the last four days, Rogers? Play peek-a-boo?” He snarled, and Steve had to fight against a smile. Tony would never change, and he loved it.

“So you know why they were here?” Rhodey asked.

“I recollected a lot of information before they captured me, and some after they did. They were not so talkative, which is a shame, I get bored pretty easily”. 

Rhodey rolled his eyes inside the suit, but they kept running until they got out, and then to where they had hidden the Quinjet. 

“Where’s everyone else?” Rhodey asked. 

“I don’t know, but Sam at least should be here soon. Guys, what’s your status?”

“We’re close” Bucky answered “Natasha and me. No idea of the others”.

“I’m here” Sam said, landing a few meters away from Steve. He nodded towards Tony, who was being looked over by a concerned Rhodey, who didn’t believe him when he said he was okay. The engineer nodded back.

“Rhodey, I’m fine. Nothing I can’t handle”.

“Still, Tones, you’re hurt”. 

Thor arrived then, carrying a wounded Clint, who had sprained his ankle. Bucky and Natasha were seeing running towards were all of them were standing.

“My friend Tony, it is a pleasure to see you in one piece” Thor smiled, clapping Tony on the shoulder.

“It’s a pleasure to still be in one piece, Point Break. What happened to your hair? You look great”. 

Thor laughed then, having missed Tony. Stephen stepped out of a portal and smiled to Tony, and then Bucky and Natasha arrived, the now-blonde giving a small smile towards the genius, receiving one in response. Bucky nodded towards him, still unsure of how the genius was going to react to him there. Tony nodded at Bucky back, the smile not leaving his face. It was more forced than the one he directed to Nat, but it was something, Steve thought. 

“We need to leave” T’Challa said, making Steve almost jump. Good Lord, when had he arrived?

“Kitty Cat, I didn’t know you had come. Really nice to see you” Tony said, now leaning on Rhodey. He was clearly exhausted, and maybe more hurt than he was letting on. T’Challa was right: they needed to leave.

“All to the Quinjet” Clint said, walking with the help of Natasha. Rhodey didn’t move from his spot, and it hit Steve hard: Peter. Peter had come with them without their knowledge. Now, where was he?

“We can’t leave yet” Rhodes said “Tones, there’s something you should know, and please don’t get mad…”

“Dad!” They heard. Steve looked around, trying to see where the voice came from, but didn’t miss how Tony’s face changed from confusion, to a little bit of anger to so much love, holly hell, it was making him feel dizzy. Peter’s figure came to his view, the teenager on the top of a tree. Before any of them could go to get him, the young superhero jumped to the floor, flipping before landing steady on his feet, mask off. Steve heard the yelps of surprise behind him, but didn’t look, instead choosing to look at the Starks. Peter was running towards his Dad, who seemed to finally realise he really was seeing his son.

“Peter, oh my God” he whispered, also going to meet his son. They met in the middle, and wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace.

“Dad, you’re such an idiot” Peter said, hiding his face on his father’s shoulder “Don’t do this to me ever again, okay? Don’t”.

“I won’t baby, don’t worry. I’m here now, okay? I’m here now” Tony said, kissing the side of his son’s head, Peter only hugging him tighter. The heroes looked at them smiling fondly, even when almost all of them were shocked by the scene. 

“Tones, now we really need to go” Rhodey said, hating to interrupt the scene. Father and son broke the hug, nodding at the Colonel. They all got into the Quinjet, and Clint went to the pilot’s seat, Natasha by his side. Peter let Tony go to make him sit, so he could look over his injuries. He still was dressed in the red and blue suit, which looked very high-tech. Steve had the feeling Tony had made it, but, why was Tony’s son a superhuman? Why was he a superhero?

“Are you okay?” The teenager asked, worriedly. Tony nodded, trying to asure his son.

“I’m okay, Pete, don’t worry. You?”

“I’m fine, Papà”.

“Great. Now… Rhodey, why is my sixteen year old here?” He asked, clearly annoyed with his best friend. Sam smiled then, and T’Challa snickered discreetly when Rhodey prescience had come true.

“Tony, really?” The man himself asked.

“Yes, Platypus, really. What is junior doing here? He’s supposed to be in New York”.

“Where you expecting him to be after you disappeared?” The Colonel asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Of course I wasn’t. But why did you decide to bring him?”

“I didn’t! The little asshole kidnapped a Quinjet and got into Wakanda, where he asked the help of the Rogues and the King”.

“You did that?” Tony asked, looking at his son. Peter rubbed his nape, smiling at his father.

“Er… yeah, I did”.

“Good job, sweetheart. I’m proud” Tony smiled at him brightly, and Peter chuckled before shutting up when he saw Rhodey’s look. “Still, Rhodey, you should have stopped him”.

“He’s a mini you, Tony! He’s a genius who has been out-smarting me since he was, like, two years old. You should’ve know he was going to do something like this”.

“I did know” Tony shrugged “That’s why FRIDAY has over four hundred protocols, for when I’m in these type of situations” he said, surprising Steve and the others. Who would have thought Tony was going to be an overprotective father.

“Then blame FRIDAY! Not me” Rhodey exclaimed, desperate.

“In Fri’s defence” Peter said “I found a loop-hole”. 

“In every protocol?” Bucky asked, surprised. Peter nodded. 

“Ah, I love when he outsmarts you” Rhodey told Tony. The engineer rolled his eyes at him, pointing one finger at his bestie.

“I’m not forgetting he managed to go to Wakanda, Rhodes. But thank you for coming”. 

Rhodey nodded, and they fell into silence for a while. Eventually they all started to talk in small groups, Steve trapped in a conversation between Sam and Bucky, in which he remained silent. 

“C’mon, Dad, you can’t ask me to do that” he heard Peter said, and turned his attention to them. Sam and Bucky did too, and slowly all of the Quinjet. Tony and Peter were talking louder than they were surely thinking, so it wasn’t hard to hear.

“You’re going to do it, Peter” Tony was saying, shaking his head “I’m not taking no as an answer”.

“But, Dad, she’s going to kill me” Peter complained.

“She’ll be more mad if you don’t call her. Call your Aunt May, honey, it’s not a suggestion”.

“Okay, but maybe if you did…”

“What? No kid, I’m not going to call her. She’ll rip my head off. No way” Tony shook his head numerous times, crossing his arms above his chest. Peter then moved closer to him, tilting his head. Rhodey smiled and leaned against the seat in the Quinjet’s seat. 

“Oh, this is going to be good” he stated, and Steve looked at Tony and his son curiously.

“But, Papà… ¿please?” Peter asked, and then freaking _pouted._ Not even a millisecond later, Tony sighed.

“Fine, I’ll call her once we get to Wakanda and you get checked up”.

“But I’m not hurt! Karen will tell you so”.

“Don’t care about that, Peter. You’re getting a check-up”. 

“Ugh, fine”. 

“Suck it up, kiddo. Sometimes I have to be a responsible father”.

Peter rolled his eyes with humor at his father, but didn’t complain anymore and chose to sit beside him, with his feet on his lap. 

“Something I never thought I’d see” Clint said “That kid has Tony wrapped around his little finger, huh?”

“Since he was born” Rhodey answered “. He’s one of the only people who Tony can’t say no to, unless it’s for his health”. 

Steve smiled warmly at the pair, who were speaking in a much calmer tone. Tony seemed completely relaxed with his son there, his hands staying steady on his son's ankles. Peter was smiling softly, exhausted but clearly happy to have his dad back. They seemed like a beautiful and perfect family, and suddenly, Steve realised… he wanted that. Maybe he had thought those wants had disappeared in the ice, more than seventy years ago, but they hand’t. Or maybe they had, and only came around again when he saw how beautiful the genius and his son looked together. He wanted a family, and he wanted it with _them._ It honestly felt amazing, even when he knew it was practically impossible. He must’ve been thinking longer than he believed, because when Clint announced they were arriving to Wakanda, the super soldier was surprised.

“Okay, Tony, you’re going straight to the infirmary” Rhodey declared. However, stubborn as he was, Tony shook his head.

“No. First of all, we have to have a briefing about what happened. Then I’ll go to the infirmary”.

“Tony…”

“I’m fine, Rhodey, my injuries are not severe. It’s nothing new, I swear. This is more important, and I won’t rest until I can tell you. I promise I’ll rest afterwards”.

“Peter, please, try to convince your stubborn father” Rhodey pleaded. Peter smiled sheepishly.

“I’m with my father in this, Uncle Rhodey. This is too important to rest first, but I promise I’ll be checking he’s okay and I’ll make sure he gets checked up and rests”. 

Rhodey sighed, massaging his forehead, but only nodded. Tony looked at his son proudly, and everybody could get why. Peter didn’t sound like some sixteen year old, he was wise beyond his age. He understood the danger, he understood what it took to be a superhero, to put others before him. The kid was incredible overprotective of his father but stood by his side when Tony wanted to answer his superhero duties before his own health. On top of that, everybody kind of understood their dynamic, at least part of it. Tony and Peter were a duo, one unbreakable. They relied on each other, they had each other for everything, for every problem, for every issue. Steve, more than ever, knew it: he wanted just _that._

They arrived to Wakanda shortly after, and Tony stubbornly walked out on his own, his best friend and son at each side of him to catch him if he tripped or was too tired. Rhodey didn’t dare to remind him Peter could carry him without breaking a sweat. In the hangar everybody who was left behind in Wakanda was waiting for them, some eager to see the genius (like Bruce and Vision) and some more reticent (Wanda and Loki). 

“Tony!” Bruce exclaimed when he saw him, hugging him briefly “Oh God, I’m so glad you’re okay”.

“Yeah, well, I’m hard to kill, Brucie Bear”. 

“We need you to get checked up, and you need to tell me why I never knew you have a son, and… why is he in a suit?”

“Long story, science bro. Long story”.

“You didn’t notice he was gone?” Steve asked, perplexed. 

“Shuri told us he was with her!”

“Yeah, I asked for a favor” Peter shrugged “. She owed me one, after I brought her Taco Bell”.

“You” Tony said to his son “are so weird sometimes”.

“Well, like father like son, they say”.

“Burn” Clint whispered, and Steve tried not to laugh. Tony rolled his eyes at Peter, patting his cheek jokingly.

“Do you have a place in where we can talk, Hello Kitty?” Tony asked T’Challa. The king smiled softly and nodded.

“Follow me” he ordered. All of the heroes obeyed, gathering in the same room they were in their first meeting. They took seat around the table, Tony still standing (to Rhodey’s complains). 

“Tony” Bruce started, eyeing his friend worriedly “, what happened?”

“Well… it’s kind of a long story. But, to sum up: the mission went to shit”.

“Well, that was pretty obvious” Dr. Strange scoffed “, look at you. What we want to know is why, or who did it”.

“Your intelligence couldn’t solve it?” Tony clap backed“You and I knew it was dangerous, Stephen”.

“Yes, Tony, we did, but you kept things from the team. From me” Strange had a deep frown in his face, looking serious at the genius. Steve moved in his seat, uncomfortable. He wasn’t expecting those two to banter like it was a common thing, nor he was expecting Strange to have that assumed trust with Tony. Said genius only rolled his eyes at the Doctor, dismissing him with his hand.

“ Okay, look Dumbledore: I had no time. It’s serious the stuff we’re facing, that’s clear. If you knew it was more dangerous than we initially thought then you would have come with me, and that was a burden”. 

Strange looked at him with an even deeper frown, and opened his mouth to answer, when…

“Okay, enough” Peter said “. As much as I enjoy these arguments, first: I don’t have popcorn here. Second: there’s more important things than arguing right now. Strange, Tony needs to be checked up and rest, so we gotta make this quick. Dad, stop being a five year old for fifteen minutes, please”.

“Okay, first of all: wow” Sam said “Your child is more mature than you are”.

“He’s not” Rhodey and Tony said simultaneously, and Peter rolled his eyes.

“And, also… is no one going to explain why the little guy jumped from a tree and landed without breaking anything and is looking like he came out of Cirque du Soeil?” Finished the Falcon. 

“Okay, so yeah” Tony sighed, rubbing his eyes “, when he was fourteen he went to Oscorp. An accident happened involving a radioactive spider and now Peter is superhuman. He decided to be a superhero all on his own, and believe me: I didn’t want to. It’s been two years of adjusting, and only now I’m comfortable with the idea. Now, the mission “he said, ignoring the looks of shock on practically everyone’s faces “. I went there because we suspected some of Thanos’s allies could be hiding there. Well, I highly suspected it. Officially we only thought it was a rare energy. No biggie”.

“So you went to look” Natasha said.

“Well, obviously. Anyways, the power they use managed to surprise me and knock out FRIDAY”.

“But that’s not good” Rhodey said, “If they can deactivate FRIDAY…”

“They’re powerful. Really powerful… aren’t they?” Sam asked, quietly. Tony grimaced, tilting his head.

“Yeah, I fear they are. This is- this is serious. The guards who were there, I think they were brainwashed people”.

“Wait, like Clint was, back in New York?” Steve asked.

“No, not like him.These people, they… they have decided to follow Thanos. I don’t know how it got to them”.

“Thanos is powerful” Peter said “, and we already know that. If he wants to get to more people, he can. He has the power to mess with someone’s mind. And… recruit people who are, you know, _normal…_ it makes him feel more personal. More close to the humanity”.

“Thanos wants to wipe half of the universe” Thor said “So I don’t see how he could get more close to humanity”.

Peter shrugged, playing with his fingers without realising it.

“I don’t truly understand Thanos’s actions. Not all of them. However, he’s twisted. He knows this and I’m sure he’ll know how to play with it”.

“So what you’re saying is that he wants to trick the whole world” Tony said “. Right?”

“If he tricks people into thinking he’s right…” Peter said, raising an eyebrow towards his father.

“Less people will go against him, as helpless as that could be. He’d have humanity at his feet”.

“Basically”. 

“Have you two rehearsed this?” Clint asked, cocking his head.

“They do it all the time” Rhodey said, rolling his eyes “. When they’re like that, good luck having more than one sentence in the conversation”. 

“I think Friend Tony and his son are right” Thor sighed “Thanos… I won’t be surprised if he’s recruiting people amongst humans. They can be like his weapons, like tools”.

“It’s not good” Bucky agreed “This only means war is inevitable”.

“This war has been Inevitable for years now “Tony said, resting one hand on his son’s shoulder to have some support “.But now, it’s coming to us”.

“So, what do we do?” Wanda asked, being protectively overlooked by Vision.

“Now we keep training” T’Challa answered “. He’s coming, and we’ll face him”.

“Together” Steve said, more sure of those words than ever. They were going to battle Thanos, and they were doing it as a team. A huge, crazy team. Tony looked at him dead serious, and the Spangled Man feared rejection (specially when he knew he couldn’t take it again, from Tony). He held his breath, and released it when Tony nodded firmly.

“Together”.

 

 

Now, he knew he was invading Tony’s privacy, and he understood it was not right, and he wanted the engineer to rest and nurse his injures more than anyone, but… Steve had to talk to him.

Tony had been kidnapped, but he never was in a deadly situation. Sure, he feared so when they didn’t know where he was or how he was holding up, but once they had retrieved him… he was okay. However, that time where Steve didn’t know if the genius was okay and the constant reminder of the coming war made him realise he needed to talk to Tony as soon as posible. If he pushed it back he was most likely never going to do it. He stopped at the door, taking at the scene. Tony was in the edge of his bed, bare feet pressed on the ground. Peter was crouching before him, looking kind of scared.

“I’m really sorry, Dad” he was saying, sounding like he was on the verge of tears “, I really am”. 

“Oh, Peter…”

“I promised you I was going to behave while you were out, and even though I know I did the right thing, I didn’t stick to my word. So I’m sorry, Dad…”

“Baby” Tony sighed, cupping his son’s face “, it’s okay. Truly. I’m not mad, how could I ever be? What you did was, yeah, not what I asked you to do… but it was so _brave._ Honey, I’m so incredibly proud of you. I’ll always be”.

Peter tried not to sob too hard, resting his forehead again’s his father’s, and Tony’s hand were fast, going straight to run his fingers through Peter’s hair.

“I was so scared” Peter ended up confessing “I was so scared I was going to loose you, Daddy, and I wasn’t going to be able to survive without you. I can’t, I’m not strong enough…”.

“Peter, you’re one of the strongest human beings I’ve ever met”.

“But I’m not you, I’m not some Iron Man and…”

“No” Tony interrupted him “You’re so much better, Peter. You’re better than I could ever be. You’re brave, and smart, and generous, and selfless…”

“You’re all of those things, too”.

“No, Bambi” Tony said, shaking his head, and Steve smiled. So that’s why the password had to do something with the movie, because it was Tony’s nickname for his son. He could get why: Peter had the same eyes as Tony, big and brown and so Bambi-like “. I’m not selfless. I’ve kept you a secret for years, because I didn’t want anyone to know. Because I wanted to be us to have a quiet life”.

“That’s not selfish, Dad”.

“That doesn’t matter right now. Listen, baby, I know you’ve been scared. But I’m here now, okay? I’m here with you. And I’m not going away”.

They all knew that was kind of a lie. They were going to war, there was nothing that told them they were going to make it through. But Tony couldn’t say that to his son, and Steve understood that. He knew Peter was a smart kid, so he probably knew there was nothing that assured him Tony was not going away, but, as the kid he was, he chose to believe his father.

“Okay, Daddy. I believe you” he said, and damn, did he sound young. His voice was so little and actually full of hope. Steve only wanted to hug him, but Tony did before he could even move. He caressed his son’s head and kissed it a couple of times, staying like that until Peter had calm down a bit. He broke the hug and cleaned his tear strained cheeks and smiled softly at him, Peter quickly smiling back. 

“Try to get some sleep, alright?” Tony whispered “We’ve been through some hard stuff today, huh?”

“You can say that. I’ll go to sleep if you do, too”.

“So like when you were five and couldn’t sleep? You want me to be there?” Tony asked, playful. Still, under his voice Steve could hear the care and worry for his only son. 

“Is it okay? I just, I’ve been so scared, I don’t know if I can sleep without knowing you’re okay and having you there”.

“Okay, sweetheart. This hospital bed is too small, though, so let’s go to the bedroom T’Challa lets you stay in”.

“Okay”. 

Steve tried to leave, because he didn’t want them to think he was intruding their privacy, but when he tried to move it was too late. Peter saw him first and, to Steve’s surprise, smiled softly at him. 

“Goodnight, Mr. Rogers”. Tony looked at him then, and visibly tensed a little bit. Steve returned his look, and Peter looked between them and sighed softly “.Dad, I’ll go to my room. I’ll see you there, Mr. Rogers knows where it is”.

“It’s Steve” The blond corrected him, smiling softly at the teenager. Peter nodded towards him, and faced his father again.

“You two need to talk” he whispered. Tony tried to tell him ‘no’ with his eyes, but Peter was having none of that “. Dad, c’mon, we both know you need to talk. I’m going to bed, Steve will tell you were it is so you can get some rest, too. Okay?”

Tony sighed, cupping his son’s face and kissing his forehead.

“Alright Bambi. Goodnight”.

“Goodnight, Dad” Peter got up and leaved the room, first stopping before Steve, clapping his shoulder “. Have some patience. I know he has missed you”.

Steve nodded, grabbing Peter’s arm before he could leave.

“Thank you… for putting our differences aside” he said, sincerely. Peter shook his head.

“Thank _you,_ for rescuing my Dad”.

“Well, he did a pretty good job in defending himself”.

“Yeah, he’s pretty badass. Goodnight, Steve”. 

“Goodnight, Peter”.

The teenager smiled at him and then finally left the room. Steve looked at Tony, who had stood up and was looking at him kind of timidly. 

“So, I see you went for a lumberjack look. Gotta say, it doesn’t look bad, just different”. 

“Thank you” Steve said, smiling. He went to stand not even a meter away from the engineer, playing with his fingers “. Tony, are you… are you okay?”

“Peachy. Peter was right: I need to sleep, at least a few hours”.

“Right. I promise I won’t be taking a lot of your time, I just… I wanted to say I’m sorry. For lying to you. I should’ve told you, and for that I’m sorry”.

“It’s okay” Tony said, shrugging. Steve gaped at him, like a fish out of the water.

“It is?”

“I mean, it was shitty. But if I’m being honest, I fucked up, too. We both did. And I’m sorry I hurt Barnes, now I see it’s not his fault. He’s another victim”.

Steve couldn’t help himself. His body was just drawn to Tony’s, and he wrapped his arms firmly around him, choking with his own sob. Tony’s arms went around him, too, and Steve felt relieved by that. He didn’t know what he would’ve done if Tony rejected him. 

“I’ve missed you” he confessed, hiding his face on Tony’s hair, getting overwhelmed by how well the engineer smelled after a shower in T’Challa’s residency. He always smelled fantastic, but Steve had forgotten that, after two years. 

“As much as it pains me to say, I’ve missed you too, Steve” Tony replied, his hug somehow even tighter “. And I’m… I’m sorry I kept my son a secret, from all of you”.

“I get it, Tony. Don’t worry. I… I wanted to talk about something else, though”.

“What is it?” The genius asked, breaking the hug. Steve put his arms on Tony’s shoulders, needing to have some type of contact with him.

“Tony, I… I don’t know how to express everything I have to tell you. I wish I could…”

“Still with the trust issues?” Tony asked, sounding hurt “. Honestly, yeah, things are not going to be as they were two years ago. It’s going to be hard, after everything we’ve both been trough, but, I don’t know, I though you could finally trust me and…”

Steve had given some good speeches in his life. He was a man who had no problem in telling everyone what was right and what not. However, he was no Tony, who could talk for hours and still make sense. He had a way with words no one else Steve knew had. So, he decided he could never express himself properly with the genius and went for option two… which was, honestly, the best. His hands moved from Tony’s shoulders to his face, cupping it and draining the line of his jaw and kissed him, eyes closed.

Tony’s lips were even better than he had imagined. They were warm, soft, delicious and just so addictive. Their lips seemed to fit perfectly, and Steve felt how much the kiss was… right. It was right for them to be kissing. Also, he suddenly realised: Tony was kissing him back. He actually was kissing him back. 

They broke the kiss when the air had run out, but still shared some quick ones before pressing their foreheads together, both panting.

“Okay” the engineer said “, didn’t know a hundred year old fella could kiss that well… this” he said, after a brief silence “this was what you wanted to tell me? That you have the hots for me?”

“I’m sorry, Tony, if this is what you don’t want or if I made you feel uncomfortable… but I had to act on my feelings. With the war coming, and with the scare you just gave us, I had to act, do something. Truth is… I have really strong feelings for you. Been having them for a while, now. Losing you was… it was heartbreaking. It broke me, it honestly did”.

“So you… have feelings for me”.

“Yes. And I’m really sorry if…”

“Stop apologising, Cap. I kissed you back, didn’t I?”

Steve opened his mouth, surprised. Well, yeah, Tony actually kissed him, but Steve hadn’t ask himself why.

“Well, yeah…”

“I… well, you could say I feel the same way” Tony finally confessed, looking timid and nervous (and _that_ was a first, wow) “. I’ve never told you because I didn’t think you… well, you could actually like me. But yeah, I’ve had feelings for you for a while now. Peter nows, that little shit he is, and he teases me constantly about it. After… you know, the fight, he was mad at you, and at me, and he stopped teasing me that much. Now he’s going to have a field trip or something…”.

“So you… want this?” Steve asked, nervous.

“Honestly? I don’t know, Steve. I have feelings for you, and that was probably the best kiss of my life, but I told you. It’s going to be hard to go back to what we were, two years ago”.

“We don’t have to go back to that, Tony. We can start a new relationship, based on truth and trust. Us, together. Well, us and Peter. That son of yours is an amazing kid”.

“We agree on that one, Cap”. Tony sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened with a new determination in them “. You know there’s a war coming, right?”

“Yes”.

“There’s a chance one of us don’t make it out. There’s a chance none of us do”.

“I know, Tony”.

“And it’s going to take some time, you and me. You know that too, right?”

“Yes”.

“Okay” Tony mumbled, before kissing him breathless again. Steve let himself smile against Tony’s lips, his hand going to rest on his hips. After a while, though, Steve remembered something.

“You” he whispered, just as Tony was kissing his jaw. Damn it, it was hard to talk right now “you, ah… need to go to bed”.

“A little bit fast, aren’t you, Capsicle?” Steve blushed, hard, but cupped Tony’s face to look him in the eyes.

“As much as I’d like to” he confessed, trying to ignore Tony’s shocked expression and his little smirk “, I wasn’t talking about that. You need to rest to nurse your injuries… and Peter is waiting for you. He… he was so scared. He deserves his father, right now”.

“Shit, Peter. You’re right, I have to go with him. Er… I’ll talk to you in the morning, right?”

“Of course, Tony”.

The genius smiled and went for a quicker kiss before leaving the room together. Steve walked him to Peter’s room and then went to his own, stupidly smiling the whole way. 

They had many things to solve. They had their biggest threat yet to face coming to them. They had a war to prepare… They had an Earth (Universe, goddamnit) to save. Together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy! Hope you liked it! 
> 
> Next one is going to be a much shorter one shot, an extra part of the first story I've published, something a reader asked me to write! Hope is up in the next one, or the following one. I'm going into the end of the academic year and I have so much projects and tests... so it's harder to write. I use it to distract myself, though.
> 
> *mio caro: it's kind of sweetheart? Something like that  
> *Credo in te, piccolo mio. Ti voglio bene: I believe in you, my son. I love you.  
> *Ti voglio bene, Papà: I love you, Dad.
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know what you thought, please, I love to read your comments! And if you have an idea you want to see, just tell me!
> 
> Alright, bye!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is a fourth part of the first story I posted. Someone asked me to do a scene in where Peter tells his family about the building crushing on him. Because someone also asked me to write a scene in where they meet MJ, I also put it here. It's shorter than the other caps, but fun! (and fluff!)
> 
> If you guys want to see something in here, you just have to tell me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just remember, before you start reading:
> 
> -Peter is Stony's biological son.  
> -He has spent two years away from home, to try to protect his family.  
> -He has returned home and is getting closer with his parents.  
> -The world knows they have a son, but not his name or what he looks like. So, only Ned and May know about Peter's real family.   
> With that being said, enjoy!

Peter felt like a weigh had been lifted from his shoulders. Since he had moved back to the Tower he had been happy as ever, but sometimes it was too awkward. He understood why, and it was normal. He had spent two years away from his family, and in the meantime he had become a superhero (well, _technically_ he was Spider-Man before he left, but that was beside the point), and Peter realised things were easier when his parents weren’t reminded of his alter-ego (and, then again, Peter could understand. It had took him a lot of time to adjust, and same could be said for May). That’s why he had shut up about his patrols, thinking it’d be a good idea. However, soon it was proved to be horrible, and really stressing. Fortunately, it all ended pretty soon thanks to one of his “overload” days (seriously, they were beyond shitty), when his parents went to gather some information (and tips) from May. Now, they wanted him to tell them everything, after they had made Peter understand they were going to understand what he was going through. They were superheroes, too, after all. He had joked about telling them about the time he had climbed Washington’s monument, and his Uncles Clint and Bucky immediately took on the idea (one thing he hadn’t miss, his Uncles hiding in the vents and dropping off at the weirdest moments). Soon there was all of his family, gathered around the dining table of the comunal floor, sharing breakfast and stories. They started by sharing some of theirs, to show Peter they were not going to be mad for him being reckless (they were reckless, too, and even more than Peter, sometimes). The teenager finally had his turn, and told them about him getting locked up, and then getting to the Monument too late, to later on climb it and save his teammates. His dads (specially his Pops) seemed to be in the verge of a heart attack, but other than that it was fine.

“Can’t say I wasn’t stressed out of my mind during your story” Steve said “, but we’re so proud of you, son”.

“Yeah” Tony said, resting a hand on his husband’s knee to try to calm him down “, you did an amazing job”. 

“Thanks, Dads”.

“Peter, I think we’re all pretty proud of you” Bucky said, smiling softly at his nephew. Again: no one managed to bring the soft side of the Super Soldier as easy as Peter could “. But, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Uncle Bucky. Shoot”.

“Well… in the encounter with Toomes, and then later when you talked to May, both of them said something about you being crushed by a building” Bucky said, kind of nervous for his nephew. Peter stiffened, clearly not liking the memory “. You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, kiddo. But personally, I was worried”.

“No, it’s okay, Uncle Buck. I guess I should tell you, it was… it was pretty big, and I was pretty damn reckless. May was kind of mad with me after she found out”.

“Well, it doesn’t sound good” Bruce said”, but you’re here, now. That’s all that matters”.

“If you want to, пау́к, you can trust us” His Aunt Natasha said. 

“I trust you, guys” Peter smiled, getting more in return. The breakfast was long done, but nobody cared about that, focusing their attention on Peter “. Okay, well… you guys remember Toomes, right? How he tried to steal your weapons”.

“Yeah” his dad said “. Jackass”.

“Well, I tried to tell you, but you never really listened. The night he kidnapped your plane… well, I stopped him from doing it, after crashing it in Coney Island. You knew that, right?”

“Yes, but, crashing it?” Sam asked “As in, you were in that plane?”

“It’s kind of a long story, but yeah “his family wanted to talk, but Peter raised his hand, stopping them “. Okay, where do I start… okay, I know. So, there was a dance in my high school. Homecoming, to be more exact. And, I, um… I was going with this girl- “.

“Oh, little Petey had a crush” Clint singed, receiving a slap upside the head from Natasha. The redhead nodded towards Peter, allowing him to talk again.

“Thanks, Aunt Tasha. Anyways, I had this crush, yes, on Liz Allen. She was a couple of years older than me, but we were in the same Decathlon team, and, yeah… thing is, I asked her to go with me and she said yes”.

“Oh, did you blush? I know you blushed” Sam teased. 

“I’m sure Peter asked the lady with manners worth of the most noble asgardian, although I agree he probably blushed while doing it” Thor laughed. Wanda smiled tenderly at him.

“Doesn’t matter how you asked, Peter, what’s important is that she said yes”.

“I mean, I guess… the important part was not that. The night of the dance May took me to her house. The plan was for her dad to drive us to Midtown. When I knocked on the door… Toomes answered”.

“Toomes?” Steve asked, worried “Did he do something to Liz?”

“No, Pops. He was Liz’s dad”.

“I don’t get it” Vision said, the other heroes in a astonished silence “. If I’m correct, you said Liz’s last name was Allen”.

“Yes, and it’s a long story, but what you need to know is that she was Toomes’s daughter”. 

“Oh… yeah, your Aunt referred him as Liz’s dad, now that I remember” Tony said. Peter nodded, sighing. How much he would’ve liked for things to not have gone that way “. What happened then?”

“Well, I immediately recognise him, but it was no reciprocal. He seemed to not have any idea of who I really was”.

“Good, that’s good” Steve said, more calm. 

“However…” his son said, before he could totally relax “on the way to Midtown, we started to talk. Liz, bless her, made a few comments that put her dad in alert… Ned, my best friend, had spread the rumor in school that I knew Spider-Man, which: duh, I’m Spider-Man. Liz started to say how I knew him, and how I never was around if Spidey was there, like in Washington. Before we arrived to Midtown, Toomes had already realised it”.

“Well, fuck” Tony whispered. 

“What happened then?” Thor asked in a soft way, one he usually reserved for Peter. 

“Well, he told Liz he wanted to talk to me. When we were alone he… well, we talked about him realising who I was, and he asked me if Liz knew. Then he threatened me: if I went after him, he’d kill everyone I love, and also me. He also made me thank him for ‘saving my life’, or some bullshit like that. After I did, he let me go”.

“You didn’t stay at the dance, did you?” Bucky said, knowing him too well. Peter sighed, shaking his head and trying to ignore the way his Pops seemed to age ten years at his gesture.

“No, not really. I mean, a part of me wanted to. It was easier, stay and pretend nothing happened, or was going to happen. It was safer, too. But I knew I could not stay behind”.

“Like I always said” Bucky said”, too much like your Pops”.

“Like Steve?” Rhodey asked, surprised, and surprising Peter, too. He almost forgot he was there “. Too much like Tony”.

“Too much like the both of them” Clint agreed”. I mean, with this parents… what else we were expecting but a selfless and reckless kid?”

“You made a great point, Clint, I’m proud” Natasha smiled. Clint touched his chest, faking tears.

“Well, so you left” Bruce said, trying to keep on with the story.

“Yes. It didn’t took me too long, to be honest. I arrived to the dance, and I saw everyone there, and I just… I knew I had to go after Toomes. If he succeeded all of them were going to be in danger. So I went in, found Liz, apologise and then left. I changed into my suit as fast as I could, and I was lucky I kept extra web fluid under my locker, so I only needed to lift it up”.

“Seriously, we need to test your strength” Steve said. Peter scoffed, nodding.

“We’ll talk after I finish with this story, because now I’m really curious, too. Well, the moment I left the school someone attacked me. It was one of Toomes’s minions, the Shocker. He actually got a few punches in, and Ned helped me in stopping him. After I had him webbed against a bus, em… okay, don’t get mad, Pops”.

“…okay?”

“I kind of stole a car? To try to go after Toomes, of course”.

“Peter, dear God. You were what, fifteen? You didn’t even had a license then”.

“No, I didn’t, but Dad had let me drive his car a few times when I was younger, and I also had practiced a little bit more with May. I didn’t get into any major car crashes, so that’s good, isn’t it?”

“Let’s move on with the story” Tony decided “, you can give our son the talk about safety behind the wheel later, honey”. 

Steve sighed, but nodded and let his son keep talking, smiling softly at him.

“Okay, I located Toomes in a abandoned building outside of the city. I went there and got in to surprise Toomes. When I faced him, I was stupid. I… I wanted to know why he did what he did, and he talked to me and distracted me. I forgot he was dangerous, I forgot I had to stop him as soon as possible. I was scared, I guess”.

“It’s okay, baby” Steve said “. You were young, and you never faced something like that”.

“Maybe you’re right, Pops, but I made mistakes. By talking to me, Toomes wanted to distract me, and he did. Before I could even realise what was happening, his wings came at me. They kept attacking me, but I dodged them all. It was weird, the way he was controlling them. I mean, it was easy for me to dodge, it was like he wasn’t really trying…”

“He was causing a distraction” Vision realised. Peter sighed, nodding.

“That was his plan. He distracted me, and before I could even realised and act on it, the building collapsed on me”.

There was a heavy silence, then. They all knew Peter was okay now, but the thought of their Peter there, alone and crushed was almost too unbearable. Steve grabbed his son’s hand, feeling the need to make sure he was there, with them. Peter squeezed his Pop’s hand, smiling gently at him.

“How the hell did you survive it?” Bruce asked in a soft tone “Peter… that was…”

“I know it sounds bad. And it hurt like hell, then. The building collapsed and I think I fell unconscious for maybe a minute. When I woke up I was under the debris, but I was lucky enough I didn’t hit my head. I started yelling for help, but no one heard me. I was alone, and, honestly, ready to give up. And then… I remembered all of the things you guys taught me, I remember what it takes to be a hero, so… I knew I was not going to end up like that”. 

“Thank God” Steve whispered. It was horrible to know his baby boy had gone trough that traumatic experience alone, but at least they had been with him, in his mind. It wasn’t enough, and that was going to haunt him for the rest of his life, but it was something.

“How did you get out of it?” Bucky asked, tensed and curious. 

“I lifted it”.

“You lifted it” Tony repeated “. A building. Son, are you serious…?”

“Well, it wasn’t like the _entire_ building. It was just the part of the roof I had crushing my body”.

“Still, Bambi, holy fuck. That was a lot” his Dad kept saying. His Pops nodded, looking way too pale.

“We definitely have to test your strength”.

“Sounds great. Well, anyway, I lifted the roof, and then went after Toomes. I latched myself to the billboard he was in and then, when he took off, I shot a web at his wings and took off with him. That’s how I got to the plane. The rest I think you know”.

“Not really” Wanda said”. I mean, we know you stopped him. We saw the webs, and the note, but… that’s it, pretty much”.

“Well, I was in the plane. Toomes got in to steal, and I tried to stop him. We fought, and broke the plane -sorry about that, by the way-, and it almost crashed in the city. I shot a web at the wing and manipulated it so it could crash in Coney Island, where no civilian could be harmed”.

“You changed directions of a plane with just a web” Thor repeated, surprised “. Man of Iron and America’s Captain, your soon is indeed very strong”. 

“He is” Tony nodded, Steve too surprised to even speak.

“What happened then?” Sam asked, trying to move the story along.

“Well, we fought. I was trying to stop Toomes, and not only because he was trying to steal dangerous weapons, but also because his wings were damaged and I knew, from what happened in Washington, they were going to explode. He beat me up, pretty much, and then tried to leave. I tried to stop him, but my wrist was injured and I didn’t have any more web fluid, so his wings did indeed explode. However, he only was injured, not killed. He fell to the ground and before he put himself on fire I lifted the wings, picked him up and put him in a safer place. After than I recollected all of the important stuff, piled it up and attached Toomes to it with the webs, after I had found another vial in my suit. I wrote the note you got and then took off”. 

“Where?” His Pops asked “You were injured, you just said it. Where did you go?”

“I hid in one of the roller coasters, on top of it. I was okay, I have my healing factor. My body hurt the entire weekend, but after that I was fine”.

“And Toomes got arrested, until he got out” Natasha sighed “. What about his daughter, Liz? He said you made her hate him”.

“I didn’t do that, he did. After Toomes got arrested, Liz and her mom moved to Oregon to start over. Liz’s mom didn’t want her here during the trial. I haven’t really spoke to her since, but I think she’s okay”.

“Poor Petey, he lost his crush” Clint said, smirking. Natasha smacked him upside the head again and her nephew smiled gratefully at her.

“Peter…” Steve said, and the teenager immediately got worried when he heard how broken he sounded “Son, I’m sorry for not being there with you when it happened…”

“Pops, it doesn’t matter…”

“It does” his Dad said”, it does. Because you see, Peter, we’re your dads. We’re supposed to protect you and stop these things from happening”.

“You couldn’t know” Peter tried to assure them “. Besides, I was already a superhuman. You guys have protected me all of my life, all of you. But since the moment I gained super powers… I think that went out of the window. I’m going to be in danger, and I’m going to get hurt, just like you guys”.

“And I think we’ve accepted that” Tony said”, as much as we hate it. However, in these situations of danger, we want to know, because we want to help you as much as we can”.

“Peter, we understand that happened, what, almost two years ago?”

“In September it’ll be two years, yeah”.

“Okay, then. Look, we can’t go back in time and change that night. So, as much as it pains us knowing it happened and knowing you were alone… we have to move on. You understand?”

“Of course, Pops”.

“However, you’re going to tell us everything from now on. I know we talked about it now even nottwo hours ago, but I don’t mind repeating it. You’re going to tell us everything, and your dad and I will do the same, alright?”

“For sure, Pops, don’t worry”.

“That’s my boy” Steve smiled, getting up to kiss his son’s head. Apparently, their little Peter had taken his (and Tony’s) recklessness, so it was not like he was going to stop any time soon. But at least he could be supported by a whole family of superheroes. 

“Okay, if you have stopped mother-henning him” Bucky said, going over to his nephew and resting his hand on his shoulders “, this punk has scared me enough for today, and it’s not even eleven a.m, so we’re going to see a movie in the living room. Pete, c’mon”.

“Okay, Uncle Bucky” the teenager laughed”, you want to see a Disney movie?”

“We’re going to fucking have a marathon of Pirates of the Caribbean. That way you’ll be stuck with me the whole day”.

Peter and Bucky disappeared then into the living room, and Steve looked fondly towards there, happy his best friend and his son got along so well. Tony’s arms we’re suddenly around him, pulling the super soldier to his body. He felt a light kiss on the side of his neck and smiled brightly at his husband.

“Should we join them?” He asked. Steve nodded, pecking his nose, and went to watch the marathon with Bucky and Peter,who were already laying on the sofa (Bucky hugging his nephew close to his body, Peter’s head resting on his chest) being joined shortly after by the rest of the family. It was a good day.

 

The next day, the Superfamily was gathered in the kitchen to have some breakfast before the start of the day. Peter was heading to high school, almost at the end of his junior year, and Tony had miraculously gotten up before seven a.m. He looked half-dead, but it was something. Steve was the one who looked more awake, sipping from his coffee while reading the newspaper.

“I swear, they probably just print it for you” Tony groaned, finishing his cup of coffee number two and going for the third”.

“Nah, there’s a lot of people who have it on the subway” their son said, halfway trough his cereals “. All of them are older than sixty, but they count, right?”

“You’re both so funny” Steve rolled his eyes, turning the page and starting to read another article. A doubt suddenly crossed his mind, so he fold the newspaper and put it on the table. Tony looked at him curiously, raising a perfect eyebrow.

“Everything okay, honey?” He asked, a little bit worried. Peter put his spoon on the bowl, also looking at his father. Steve nodded, smiling at them fondly.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I was just wondering something… Peter, baby, do you want to come out as our son, you know, publicly?”

His son seemed surprised by his question, and Steve couldn’t blame him. He asked it out of the blue, but it just had crossed his mind.

“That’s actually a good question” Tony said”. We never really thought about it since you came back, but it’s good to think about it. You’re living in the Tower again, and you’re growing up. People already know we have a son, just not his name, or what he looks like”.

“They also know we lost custody for a couple of years” Steve kept talking “, so if people in your school knows you changed homes, too, maybe it’s a little bit coincidental”.

“Maybe they suspect” Tony agreed ”. So, what do you say, son? We’re not going to pressure you, and you don’t have to”. 

“Can… can it stay a secret for a little bit more?” He asked, shy “. I love you guys, and I couldn’t ask for better parents, but I think I want it to be private at least until I finish high-school. I don’t want paparazzis on the door, or anything… maybe on my birthday, when I’m eighteen? When I’m legal”.

“It doesn’t sound bad” Tony hummed “, I mean, it’ll be easier for you. And you’ll get into college for who you are, not for your parents”.

“And you won’t get fake friends” Steve agreed.

“Exactly. Although…”

“Yes, sweetheart?” His Pops asked.

“Can I tell some people? Only Ned and May knows, outside of our family and SHIELD…”

“If you trust them, then yes” Tony said”, I can’t see why not”. 

“Okay, great” Peter smiled, and then went back to his cereals. Their morning moved on like nothing had happened. Peter went to school, Tony to the labs and Steve went to his Studio, enjoying the morning there, drawing and being happy to not have any important SHIELD meetings. He had lunch with his husband (and it was the first time they were able to be alone and peaceful in a while) and, as some type of miracle, they both took a short nap, snuggled up in the sofa (seriously, it was a miracle with Tony. And sometimes with Steve, too). Of course, their family couldn’t leave them alone for too long, and soon after they woke up they were all in their living room.

“I told you to buy them the dictionary as a joke, but now I don’t think is that bad of an idea”

“Me neither, to be honest” Steve sighed, his arm still around Tony, lazily making draws on his shoulder, Tony’s head on his chest.

“Come on, don’t complain” Natasha said”, it’s not normal for us to have a normal and peaceful day, let’s enjoy it”.

“Yeah, she’s right” Bruce sighed, chilling in the individual sofa with a cup of tea “. Peter’s on patrol?”

“He didn’t tell us if he was going today, but he usually does” Steve said, kissing Tony’s head before resting his cheek against it. They put on a movie, enjoying their weirdly lazy day and, halfway through it, the elevator’s door opened. Peter got out then but, before they could even open their mouths, the heroes realised he was not alone. A tall girl was walking beside him, smiling gently at him. She was naturally beautiful, with soft natural curls that were put in a messy bun on the top of her head. She wasn’t wearing any make up (Natasha liked her a little bit more because of that, being all for the natural beauty) and wore a casual t-shirt with jeans, paired up with snickers. They both seemed to realise there was people in the room at the same time, because they stopped dead in their tracks and looked at them.

“Oh, hey” Peter said “. I didn’t know if you were going to be home”.

“Weirdly enough, none of us have urgent work to do today” his Uncle Bucky said.

“And I did quite a lot this morning” his Dad also said “, so I thought I could make your Pops happy and watch a movie with him. The rest of the family just don’t know what a private floor means”.

“As if you don’t love us” Clint smirked. Tony stuck out his tongue at him, both smiling at each other. Steve rolled his eyes at them, and then smiled softly at his son.

“Peter, honey” he said, standing up and going over to the teenagers “, hi. Who’s your friend?”

“Michelle Jones” the girl answered for his son, extending her hand for Steve to shake it. The blond did so, smiling gently at her.

“Steve Stark-Rogers, nice to meet you. I take Peter has told you about us?”

“Well, it wasn’t like I hadn’t already suspected it, but yes. Peter has told me about him being the son of two American Icons. Honestly, Parker, I’m surprised you kept that for this long. Although, I guess I have to call you something different now. What’s your real last name?”

“Stark-Rogers” Tony answered for his son, also going to greet the young woman. She judged him with her eyes before shaking his hand, too.

“Tony Stark-Rogers” she nodded “I’ve read quite things about you”.

“Oh, so you’re a fangirl? Interesting, I must say”.

“I don’t do ‘fangirl’” She answered, her gaze looking at him in a boring way “, but I’d very much like to debate with you some concepts of…”

“MJ” Peter interrupted her, and then the both had some type of weird conversation, using only their eyes.

“Okay, yes” she sighed”, I promised I was going to behave. You’re lucky you caught me in a good day, loser”.

“What can I say, I’m lucky that way” Peter smiled, getting softly punched in the arm then. Not like that could hurt him, anyway “. Anyways, Dads, we have a lot to study, because we have a Physics tests in like, two days, so we’ll be in my bedroom”.

“You’re going to have a study session?” Tony asked jokingly, and it took everything Steve had to not smack his head. His look had a clear message ‘we agreed into not embarrassing our son, Stark’. Of course, Tony didn’t care about that. Michelle looked at him blankly, wiping out his smirk.

“Well, yes. Peter’s the smartest kid in school, as much as it pains me to say it, and he’s the bestthere is in Physics. I excel in quite the subjects, but Peter helps me with this one”.

“Then you can go to your room, son” Steve said, trying to be the cool Dad “. Is Ned also coming, or he doesn’t have Physics?”

“He does” Peter nodded “, but he’s not in AP Physics, he strides more to Computer Programming. Enjoy your movie”.

His family nodded towards him, but Tony stopped him just as he was leaving, MJ already in the hallway.

“He’ll be with you in a minute, MJ. His room is super easy to find, his name’s on the door”.

“Okay, Stark. And only my friends call me MJ, so for the moment is Michelle for you”. 

The girl disappeared into the hallway then, and Tony looked at his son with a knowing smile.

“So, Michelle?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow. Peter rolled his eyes, groaning.

“Oh my God, Dad, stop it, we’re not dating or anything. Don’t embarrass me”.

“Don’t worry, Bambi, we won’t” Steve promised “She seems nice, by the way”.

“Thank you, Pops. And she’s actually being nice to you, usually she doesn’t speak that much to people she doesn’t really know”.

“How does she get to know people, then?” Clint asked.

“She’s very observant. Anyways, I really have to study for that test, so I’ll see you all at dinner, because I’m guessing you’re all staying around”.

“You know us” Sam smiled. Peter rolled his eyes fondly and then went to his room.

“He so likes her” Tony sing-singed, going back to the couch. His husband sighed and also went back to his original position, cuddling his Tony in his arms.

“Even if he does, please, let’s just not embarrass him”.

“Oh, of course not” Natasha said”, let’s embarrass them both. She so likes him back”.

“Oh my God, Guys…” Steve groaned, feeling it for his only son. They finished the movie, and then everyone wanted to check on the teenagers. Steve beat them all to do it, almost racing to his son’s bedroom and knocking politely the door. Only after he heard “come in”, he opened it. His son and his friend were in a perfect (kind of) natural position, Michelle sitting cross-legged on the bed and Peter hanging upside down from the ceiling. It was pretty weird to say, but it was already normal, for Steve.

“Hey, Pops. Something wrong, some mission?”

“Er… no, everything fine. Just wanted to check in. Well, technically I didn’t, but it was me or your Dad..”

“Then thanks for coming, but Uncle Clint is in the vents right now”.

“Oh, come on! How did you even hear me?” A voice came from the ceiling, and Steve fought against the want of hitting his head against the wall. 

“You breath way too loud, dude” Peter sighed” and I have super senses”.

“Er…” Steve mumbled, looking at MJ. She smiled softly at him.

“Don’t worry, I know. Peter can’t keep that many secrets from me”.

“Anyway… first of, Clint, get out of there, I’m serious. Second, Peter honey, we’ll be having dinner in an hour. Is MJ staying for dinner?”

“I have to head home before eight, Mr.Rogers, but thank you” the girl said politely.

“Please, it’s Steve. If Peter trusts you enough to tell you about his real parents, then I can’t have you calling me Mr. Rogers… makes me feel way too old” Steve laughed. 

“Okay, Steve. I’ll need more time for you to call me MJ, though”.

“Wasn’t expecting less, don’t worry. Do you guys need anything? Other than me leaving, that is”.

“We’re fine, Pops, don’t worry”.

“Alright, then I’ll leave. Good luck with your studies”.

“Thank you” they both said. When Steve closed the door, he still heard “Your Dad is actually cool, loser. Don’t tell him I said that”, and he smiled.

_Success._

Almost forty-five minutes later, everyone was still in the living room, having decided to order take out. Peter and Michelle came out of his room, talking in a soft tone they didn’t get to hear. Tony tried to ask Steve and even Bucky, because with their super hearing they were more likely to hear the teenagers, but both refused. He also asked Clint, and the spy was close to put on max his hearing aids to hear the kids, but one look of Steve and that was out of the window. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow in school” Peter said, in a higher tone. Michelle nodded.

“See you then. Don’t be late, alright? I don’t want Flash sitting next to me in English”.

“Alright” Peter laughed. 

“Oh, and your family is pretty neat”.

“You haven’t spent real time with them”.

Michelle rolled her eyes, punching Peter’s shoulder.

“We both know you don’t mean that. Anyway, I’ll make Ned so jealous tomorrow, when he finds out I’ve spent the evening here”.

“Oh, he won’t stop complaining to me, please don’t do that”.

“Then don’t be late” Michelle said, and then leaned to peck Peter’s cheek “See you tomorrow… Stark-Rogers”.

“See you tomorrow, Jones”. 

Michelle smiled one last time and then got into the elevator, doors shortly after closing. Peter sighed, and turned around. When he did, however, he saw the look on everyone’s faces and blushed deep.

“Please, don’t” he begged. 

“Someone has a crush!” Clint yelled, as loud as he could. Peter blushed even redder and looked at his Pops for help, but he was laughing too.

“Traitors” he mumbled, walking to where they were and plopping next to Bucky“. You’re all traitors”

The super soldier laughed and hugged his nephew to his body.

“Don’t worry, Punk. I’ll tell you all about flirting”.

“No one’s going to do that” Steve warned, and then pointed to his husband “. That goes for you, too”.

“But Steve” Sam said”, it’s all in the name of love” he said, exaggerating the ‘o’ in love. Peter wanted to disappear, knowing they were not going to let that die anytime soon.

“You guys are seriously the worst” he whispered, but he was smiling.

Because they weren’t the worst. They were a huge and crazy family. And Peter’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it! You know you can ask me to write a one shot, or a story, if you want to see something here! Next story will probably be split in chapters. Don't know when it'll be up, because finals are coming, so it may take a little bit... to complete, at least. I hope I can find the time, though.
> 
> Okay, I think that's all! Bye!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is a fourth part of the first story I posted. Someone asked me to do a scene in where Peter tells his family about the building crushing on him. Because someone also asked me to write a scene in where they meet MJ, I also put it here. It's shorter than the other caps, but fun! (and fluff!)
> 
> If you guys want to see something in here, you just have to tell me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just remember, before you start reading:
> 
> -Peter is Stony's biological son.  
> -He has spent two years away from home, to try to protect his family.  
> -He has returned home and is getting closer with his parents.  
> -The world knows they have a son, but not his name or what he looks like. So, only Ned and May know about Peter's real family.   
> With that being said, enjoy!

Peter felt like a weigh had been lifted from his shoulders. Since he had moved back to the Tower he had been happy as ever, but sometimes it was too awkward. He understood why, and it was normal. He had spent two years away from his family, and in the meantime he had become a superhero (well, _technically_ he was Spider-Man before he left, but that was beside the point), and Peter realised things were easier when his parents weren’t reminded of his alter-ego (and, then again, Peter could understand. It had took him a lot of time to adjust, and same could be said for May). That’s why he had shut up about his patrols, thinking it’d be a good idea. However, soon it was proved to be horrible, and really stressing. Fortunately, it all ended pretty soon thanks to one of his “overload” days (seriously, they were beyond shitty), when his parents went to gather some information (and tips) from May. Now, they wanted him to tell them everything, after they had made Peter understand they were going to understand what he was going through. They were superheroes, too, after all. He had joked about telling them about the time he had climbed Washington’s monument, and his Uncles Clint and Bucky immediately took on the idea (one thing he hadn’t miss, his Uncles hiding in the vents and dropping off at the weirdest moments). Soon there was all of his family, gathered around the dining table of the comunal floor, sharing breakfast and stories. They started by sharing some of theirs, to show Peter they were not going to be mad for him being reckless (they were reckless, too, and even more than Peter, sometimes). The teenager finally had his turn, and told them about him getting locked up, and then getting to the Monument too late, to later on climb it and save his teammates. His dads (specially his Pops) seemed to be in the verge of a heart attack, but other than that it was fine.

“Can’t say I wasn’t stressed out of my mind during your story” Steve said “, but we’re so proud of you, son”.

“Yeah” Tony said, resting a hand on his husband’s knee to try to calm him down “, you did an amazing job”. 

“Thanks, Dads”.

“Peter, I think we’re all pretty proud of you” Bucky said, smiling softly at his nephew. Again: no one managed to bring the soft side of the Super Soldier as easy as Peter could “. But, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Uncle Bucky. Shoot”.

“Well… in the encounter with Toomes, and then later when you talked to May, both of them said something about you being crushed by a building” Bucky said, kind of nervous for his nephew. Peter stiffened, clearly not liking the memory “. You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, kiddo. But personally, I was worried”.

“No, it’s okay, Uncle Buck. I guess I should tell you, it was… it was pretty big, and I was pretty damn reckless. May was kind of mad with me after she found out”.

“Well, it doesn’t sound good” Bruce said”, but you’re here, now. That’s all that matters”.

“If you want to, пау́к, you can trust us” His Aunt Natasha said. 

“I trust you, guys” Peter smiled, getting more in return. The breakfast was long done, but nobody cared about that, focusing their attention on Peter “. Okay, well… you guys remember Toomes, right? How he tried to steal your weapons”.

“Yeah” his dad said “. Jackass”.

“Well, I tried to tell you, but you never really listened. The night he kidnapped your plane… well, I stopped him from doing it, after crashing it in Coney Island. You knew that, right?”

“Yes, but, crashing it?” Sam asked “As in, you were in that plane?”

“It’s kind of a long story, but yeah “his family wanted to talk, but Peter raised his hand, stopping them “. Okay, where do I start… okay, I know. So, there was a dance in my high school. Homecoming, to be more exact. And, I, um… I was going with this girl- “.

“Oh, little Petey had a crush” Clint singed, receiving a slap upside the head from Natasha. The redhead nodded towards Peter, allowing him to talk again.

“Thanks, Aunt Tasha. Anyways, I had this crush, yes, on Liz Allen. She was a couple of years older than me, but we were in the same Decathlon team, and, yeah… thing is, I asked her to go with me and she said yes”.

“Oh, did you blush? I know you blushed” Sam teased. 

“I’m sure Peter asked the lady with manners worth of the most noble asgardian, although I agree he probably blushed while doing it” Thor laughed. Wanda smiled tenderly at him.

“Doesn’t matter how you asked, Peter, what’s important is that she said yes”.

“I mean, I guess… the important part was not that. The night of the dance May took me to her house. The plan was for her dad to drive us to Midtown. When I knocked on the door… Toomes answered”.

“Toomes?” Steve asked, worried “Did he do something to Liz?”

“No, Pops. He was Liz’s dad”.

“I don’t get it” Vision said, the other heroes in a astonished silence “. If I’m correct, you said Liz’s last name was Allen”.

“Yes, and it’s a long story, but what you need to know is that she was Toomes’s daughter”. 

“Oh… yeah, your Aunt referred him as Liz’s dad, now that I remember” Tony said. Peter nodded, sighing. How much he would’ve liked for things to not have gone that way “. What happened then?”

“Well, I immediately recognise him, but it was no reciprocal. He seemed to not have any idea of who I really was”.

“Good, that’s good” Steve said, more calm. 

“However…” his son said, before he could totally relax “on the way to Midtown, we started to talk. Liz, bless her, made a few comments that put her dad in alert… Ned, my best friend, had spread the rumor in school that I knew Spider-Man, which: duh, I’m Spider-Man. Liz started to say how I knew him, and how I never was around if Spidey was there, like in Washington. Before we arrived to Midtown, Toomes had already realised it”.

“Well, fuck” Tony whispered. 

“What happened then?” Thor asked in a soft way, one he usually reserved for Peter. 

“Well, he told Liz he wanted to talk to me. When we were alone he… well, we talked about him realising who I was, and he asked me if Liz knew. Then he threatened me: if I went after him, he’d kill everyone I love, and also me. He also made me thank him for ‘saving my life’, or some bullshit like that. After I did, he let me go”.

“You didn’t stay at the dance, did you?” Bucky said, knowing him too well. Peter sighed, shaking his head and trying to ignore the way his Pops seemed to age ten years at his gesture.

“No, not really. I mean, a part of me wanted to. It was easier, stay and pretend nothing happened, or was going to happen. It was safer, too. But I knew I could not stay behind”.

“Like I always said” Bucky said”, too much like your Pops”.

“Like Steve?” Rhodey asked, surprised, and surprising Peter, too. He almost forgot he was there “. Too much like Tony”.

“Too much like the both of them” Clint agreed”. I mean, with this parents… what else we were expecting but a selfless and reckless kid?”

“You made a great point, Clint, I’m proud” Natasha smiled. Clint touched his chest, faking tears.

“Well, so you left” Bruce said, trying to keep on with the story.

“Yes. It didn’t took me too long, to be honest. I arrived to the dance, and I saw everyone there, and I just… I knew I had to go after Toomes. If he succeeded all of them were going to be in danger. So I went in, found Liz, apologise and then left. I changed into my suit as fast as I could, and I was lucky I kept extra web fluid under my locker, so I only needed to lift it up”.

“Seriously, we need to test your strength” Steve said. Peter scoffed, nodding.

“We’ll talk after I finish with this story, because now I’m really curious, too. Well, the moment I left the school someone attacked me. It was one of Toomes’s minions, the Shocker. He actually got a few punches in, and Ned helped me in stopping him. After I had him webbed against a bus, em… okay, don’t get mad, Pops”.

“…okay?”

“I kind of stole a car? To try to go after Toomes, of course”.

“Peter, dear God. You were what, fifteen? You didn’t even had a license then”.

“No, I didn’t, but Dad had let me drive his car a few times when I was younger, and I also had practiced a little bit more with May. I didn’t get into any major car crashes, so that’s good, isn’t it?”

“Let’s move on with the story” Tony decided “, you can give our son the talk about safety behind the wheel later, honey”. 

Steve sighed, but nodded and let his son keep talking, smiling softly at him.

“Okay, I located Toomes in a abandoned building outside of the city. I went there and got in to surprise Toomes. When I faced him, I was stupid. I… I wanted to know why he did what he did, and he talked to me and distracted me. I forgot he was dangerous, I forgot I had to stop him as soon as possible. I was scared, I guess”.

“It’s okay, baby” Steve said “. You were young, and you never faced something like that”.

“Maybe you’re right, Pops, but I made mistakes. By talking to me, Toomes wanted to distract me, and he did. Before I could even realise what was happening, his wings came at me. They kept attacking me, but I dodged them all. It was weird, the way he was controlling them. I mean, it was easy for me to dodge, it was like he wasn’t really trying…”

“He was causing a distraction” Vision realised. Peter sighed, nodding.

“That was his plan. He distracted me, and before I could even realised and act on it, the building collapsed on me”.

There was a heavy silence, then. They all knew Peter was okay now, but the thought of their Peter there, alone and crushed was almost too unbearable. Steve grabbed his son’s hand, feeling the need to make sure he was there, with them. Peter squeezed his Pop’s hand, smiling gently at him.

“How the hell did you survive it?” Bruce asked in a soft tone “Peter… that was…”

“I know it sounds bad. And it hurt like hell, then. The building collapsed and I think I fell unconscious for maybe a minute. When I woke up I was under the debris, but I was lucky enough I didn’t hit my head. I started yelling for help, but no one heard me. I was alone, and, honestly, ready to give up. And then… I remembered all of the things you guys taught me, I remember what it takes to be a hero, so… I knew I was not going to end up like that”. 

“Thank God” Steve whispered. It was horrible to know his baby boy had gone trough that traumatic experience alone, but at least they had been with him, in his mind. It wasn’t enough, and that was going to haunt him for the rest of his life, but it was something.

“How did you get out of it?” Bucky asked, tensed and curious. 

“I lifted it”.

“You lifted it” Tony repeated “. A building. Son, are you serious…?”

“Well, it wasn’t like the _entire_ building. It was just the part of the roof I had crushing my body”.

“Still, Bambi, holy fuck. That was a lot” his Dad kept saying. His Pops nodded, looking way too pale.

“We definitely have to test your strength”.

“Sounds great. Well, anyway, I lifted the roof, and then went after Toomes. I latched myself to the billboard he was in and then, when he took off, I shot a web at his wings and took off with him. That’s how I got to the plane. The rest I think you know”.

“Not really” Wanda said”. I mean, we know you stopped him. We saw the webs, and the note, but… that’s it, pretty much”.

“Well, I was in the plane. Toomes got in to steal, and I tried to stop him. We fought, and broke the plane -sorry about that, by the way-, and it almost crashed in the city. I shot a web at the wing and manipulated it so it could crash in Coney Island, where no civilian could be harmed”.

“You changed directions of a plane with just a web” Thor repeated, surprised “. Man of Iron and America’s Captain, your soon is indeed very strong”. 

“He is” Tony nodded, Steve too surprised to even speak.

“What happened then?” Sam asked, trying to move the story along.

“Well, we fought. I was trying to stop Toomes, and not only because he was trying to steal dangerous weapons, but also because his wings were damaged and I knew, from what happened in Washington, they were going to explode. He beat me up, pretty much, and then tried to leave. I tried to stop him, but my wrist was injured and I didn’t have any more web fluid, so his wings did indeed explode. However, he only was injured, not killed. He fell to the ground and before he put himself on fire I lifted the wings, picked him up and put him in a safer place. After than I recollected all of the important stuff, piled it up and attached Toomes to it with the webs, after I had found another vial in my suit. I wrote the note you got and then took off”. 

“Where?” His Pops asked “You were injured, you just said it. Where did you go?”

“I hid in one of the roller coasters, on top of it. I was okay, I have my healing factor. My body hurt the entire weekend, but after that I was fine”.

“And Toomes got arrested, until he got out” Natasha sighed “. What about his daughter, Liz? He said you made her hate him”.

“I didn’t do that, he did. After Toomes got arrested, Liz and her mom moved to Oregon to start over. Liz’s mom didn’t want her here during the trial. I haven’t really spoke to her since, but I think she’s okay”.

“Poor Petey, he lost his crush” Clint said, smirking. Natasha smacked him upside the head again and her nephew smiled gratefully at her.

“Peter…” Steve said, and the teenager immediately got worried when he heard how broken he sounded “Son, I’m sorry for not being there with you when it happened…”

“Pops, it doesn’t matter…”

“It does” his Dad said”, it does. Because you see, Peter, we’re your dads. We’re supposed to protect you and stop these things from happening”.

“You couldn’t know” Peter tried to assure them “. Besides, I was already a superhuman. You guys have protected me all of my life, all of you. But since the moment I gained super powers… I think that went out of the window. I’m going to be in danger, and I’m going to get hurt, just like you guys”.

“And I think we’ve accepted that” Tony said”, as much as we hate it. However, in these situations of danger, we want to know, because we want to help you as much as we can”.

“Peter, we understand that happened, what, almost two years ago?”

“In September it’ll be two years, yeah”.

“Okay, then. Look, we can’t go back in time and change that night. So, as much as it pains us knowing it happened and knowing you were alone… we have to move on. You understand?”

“Of course, Pops”.

“However, you’re going to tell us everything from now on. I know we talked about it now even nottwo hours ago, but I don’t mind repeating it. You’re going to tell us everything, and your dad and I will do the same, alright?”

“For sure, Pops, don’t worry”.

“That’s my boy” Steve smiled, getting up to kiss his son’s head. Apparently, their little Peter had taken his (and Tony’s) recklessness, so it was not like he was going to stop any time soon. But at least he could be supported by a whole family of superheroes. 

“Okay, if you have stopped mother-henning him” Bucky said, going over to his nephew and resting his hand on his shoulders “, this punk has scared me enough for today, and it’s not even eleven a.m, so we’re going to see a movie in the living room. Pete, c’mon”.

“Okay, Uncle Bucky” the teenager laughed”, you want to see a Disney movie?”

“We’re going to fucking have a marathon of Pirates of the Caribbean. That way you’ll be stuck with me the whole day”.

Peter and Bucky disappeared then into the living room, and Steve looked fondly towards there, happy his best friend and his son got along so well. Tony’s arms we’re suddenly around him, pulling the super soldier to his body. He felt a light kiss on the side of his neck and smiled brightly at his husband.

“Should we join them?” He asked. Steve nodded, pecking his nose, and went to watch the marathon with Bucky and Peter,who were already laying on the sofa (Bucky hugging his nephew close to his body, Peter’s head resting on his chest) being joined shortly after by the rest of the family. It was a good day.

 

The next day, the Superfamily was gathered in the kitchen to have some breakfast before the start of the day. Peter was heading to high school, almost at the end of his junior year, and Tony had miraculously gotten up before seven a.m. He looked half-dead, but it was something. Steve was the one who looked more awake, sipping from his coffee while reading the newspaper.

“I swear, they probably just print it for you” Tony groaned, finishing his cup of coffee number two and going for the third”.

“Nah, there’s a lot of people who have it on the subway” their son said, halfway trough his cereals “. All of them are older than sixty, but they count, right?”

“You’re both so funny” Steve rolled his eyes, turning the page and starting to read another article. A doubt suddenly crossed his mind, so he fold the newspaper and put it on the table. Tony looked at him curiously, raising a perfect eyebrow.

“Everything okay, honey?” He asked, a little bit worried. Peter put his spoon on the bowl, also looking at his father. Steve nodded, smiling at them fondly.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I was just wondering something… Peter, baby, do you want to come out as our son, you know, publicly?”

His son seemed surprised by his question, and Steve couldn’t blame him. He asked it out of the blue, but it just had crossed his mind.

“That’s actually a good question” Tony said”. We never really thought about it since you came back, but it’s good to think about it. You’re living in the Tower again, and you’re growing up. People already know we have a son, just not his name, or what he looks like”.

“They also know we lost custody for a couple of years” Steve kept talking “, so if people in your school knows you changed homes, too, maybe it’s a little bit coincidental”.

“Maybe they suspect” Tony agreed ”. So, what do you say, son? We’re not going to pressure you, and you don’t have to”. 

“Can… can it stay a secret for a little bit more?” He asked, shy “. I love you guys, and I couldn’t ask for better parents, but I think I want it to be private at least until I finish high-school. I don’t want paparazzis on the door, or anything… maybe on my birthday, when I’m eighteen? When I’m legal”.

“It doesn’t sound bad” Tony hummed “, I mean, it’ll be easier for you. And you’ll get into college for who you are, not for your parents”.

“And you won’t get fake friends” Steve agreed.

“Exactly. Although…”

“Yes, sweetheart?” His Pops asked.

“Can I tell some people? Only Ned and May knows, outside of our family and SHIELD…”

“If you trust them, then yes” Tony said”, I can’t see why not”. 

“Okay, great” Peter smiled, and then went back to his cereals. Their morning moved on like nothing had happened. Peter went to school, Tony to the labs and Steve went to his Studio, enjoying the morning there, drawing and being happy to not have any important SHIELD meetings. He had lunch with his husband (and it was the first time they were able to be alone and peaceful in a while) and, as some type of miracle, they both took a short nap, snuggled up in the sofa (seriously, it was a miracle with Tony. And sometimes with Steve, too). Of course, their family couldn’t leave them alone for too long, and soon after they woke up they were all in their living room.

“I told you to buy them the dictionary as a joke, but now I don’t think is that bad of an idea”

“Me neither, to be honest” Steve sighed, his arm still around Tony, lazily making draws on his shoulder, Tony’s head on his chest.

“Come on, don’t complain” Natasha said”, it’s not normal for us to have a normal and peaceful day, let’s enjoy it”.

“Yeah, she’s right” Bruce sighed, chilling in the individual sofa with a cup of tea “. Peter’s on patrol?”

“He didn’t tell us if he was going today, but he usually does” Steve said, kissing Tony’s head before resting his cheek against it. They put on a movie, enjoying their weirdly lazy day and, halfway through it, the elevator’s door opened. Peter got out then but, before they could even open their mouths, the heroes realised he was not alone. A tall girl was walking beside him, smiling gently at him. She was naturally beautiful, with soft natural curls that were put in a messy bun on the top of her head. She wasn’t wearing any make up (Natasha liked her a little bit more because of that, being all for the natural beauty) and wore a casual t-shirt with jeans, paired up with snickers. They both seemed to realise there was people in the room at the same time, because they stopped dead in their tracks and looked at them.

“Oh, hey” Peter said “. I didn’t know if you were going to be home”.

“Weirdly enough, none of us have urgent work to do today” his Uncle Bucky said.

“And I did quite a lot this morning” his Dad also said “, so I thought I could make your Pops happy and watch a movie with him. The rest of the family just don’t know what a private floor means”.

“As if you don’t love us” Clint smirked. Tony stuck out his tongue at him, both smiling at each other. Steve rolled his eyes at them, and then smiled softly at his son.

“Peter, honey” he said, standing up and going over to the teenagers “, hi. Who’s your friend?”

“Michelle Jones” the girl answered for his son, extending her hand for Steve to shake it. The blond did so, smiling gently at her.

“Steve Stark-Rogers, nice to meet you. I take Peter has told you about us?”

“Well, it wasn’t like I hadn’t already suspected it, but yes. Peter has told me about him being the son of two American Icons. Honestly, Parker, I’m surprised you kept that for this long. Although, I guess I have to call you something different now. What’s your real last name?”

“Stark-Rogers” Tony answered for his son, also going to greet the young woman. She judged him with her eyes before shaking his hand, too.

“Tony Stark-Rogers” she nodded “I’ve read quite things about you”.

“Oh, so you’re a fangirl? Interesting, I must say”.

“I don’t do ‘fangirl’” She answered, her gaze looking at him in a boring way “, but I’d very much like to debate with you some concepts of…”

“MJ” Peter interrupted her, and then the both had some type of weird conversation, using only their eyes.

“Okay, yes” she sighed”, I promised I was going to behave. You’re lucky you caught me in a good day, loser”.

“What can I say, I’m lucky that way” Peter smiled, getting softly punched in the arm then. Not like that could hurt him, anyway “. Anyways, Dads, we have a lot to study, because we have a Physics tests in like, two days, so we’ll be in my bedroom”.

“You’re going to have a study session?” Tony asked jokingly, and it took everything Steve had to not smack his head. His look had a clear message ‘we agreed into not embarrassing our son, Stark’. Of course, Tony didn’t care about that. Michelle looked at him blankly, wiping out his smirk.

“Well, yes. Peter’s the smartest kid in school, as much as it pains me to say it, and he’s the bestthere is in Physics. I excel in quite the subjects, but Peter helps me with this one”.

“Then you can go to your room, son” Steve said, trying to be the cool Dad “. Is Ned also coming, or he doesn’t have Physics?”

“He does” Peter nodded “, but he’s not in AP Physics, he strides more to Computer Programming. Enjoy your movie”.

His family nodded towards him, but Tony stopped him just as he was leaving, MJ already in the hallway.

“He’ll be with you in a minute, MJ. His room is super easy to find, his name’s on the door”.

“Okay, Stark. And only my friends call me MJ, so for the moment is Michelle for you”. 

The girl disappeared into the hallway then, and Tony looked at his son with a knowing smile.

“So, Michelle?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow. Peter rolled his eyes, groaning.

“Oh my God, Dad, stop it, we’re not dating or anything. Don’t embarrass me”.

“Don’t worry, Bambi, we won’t” Steve promised “She seems nice, by the way”.

“Thank you, Pops. And she’s actually being nice to you, usually she doesn’t speak that much to people she doesn’t really know”.

“How does she get to know people, then?” Clint asked.

“She’s very observant. Anyways, I really have to study for that test, so I’ll see you all at dinner, because I’m guessing you’re all staying around”.

“You know us” Sam smiled. Peter rolled his eyes fondly and then went to his room.

“He so likes her” Tony sing-singed, going back to the couch. His husband sighed and also went back to his original position, cuddling his Tony in his arms.

“Even if he does, please, let’s just not embarrass him”.

“Oh, of course not” Natasha said”, let’s embarrass them both. She so likes him back”.

“Oh my God, Guys…” Steve groaned, feeling it for his only son. They finished the movie, and then everyone wanted to check on the teenagers. Steve beat them all to do it, almost racing to his son’s bedroom and knocking politely the door. Only after he heard “come in”, he opened it. His son and his friend were in a perfect (kind of) natural position, Michelle sitting cross-legged on the bed and Peter hanging upside down from the ceiling. It was pretty weird to say, but it was already normal, for Steve.

“Hey, Pops. Something wrong, some mission?”

“Er… no, everything fine. Just wanted to check in. Well, technically I didn’t, but it was me or your Dad..”

“Then thanks for coming, but Uncle Clint is in the vents right now”.

“Oh, come on! How did you even hear me?” A voice came from the ceiling, and Steve fought against the want of hitting his head against the wall. 

“You breath way too loud, dude” Peter sighed” and I have super senses”.

“Er…” Steve mumbled, looking at MJ. She smiled softly at him.

“Don’t worry, I know. Peter can’t keep that many secrets from me”.

“Anyway… first of, Clint, get out of there, I’m serious. Second, Peter honey, we’ll be having dinner in an hour. Is MJ staying for dinner?”

“I have to head home before eight, Mr.Rogers, but thank you” the girl said politely.

“Please, it’s Steve. If Peter trusts you enough to tell you about his real parents, then I can’t have you calling me Mr. Rogers… makes me feel way too old” Steve laughed. 

“Okay, Steve. I’ll need more time for you to call me MJ, though”.

“Wasn’t expecting less, don’t worry. Do you guys need anything? Other than me leaving, that is”.

“We’re fine, Pops, don’t worry”.

“Alright, then I’ll leave. Good luck with your studies”.

“Thank you” they both said. When Steve closed the door, he still heard “Your Dad is actually cool, loser. Don’t tell him I said that”, and he smiled.

_Success._

Almost forty-five minutes later, everyone was still in the living room, having decided to order take out. Peter and Michelle came out of his room, talking in a soft tone they didn’t get to hear. Tony tried to ask Steve and even Bucky, because with their super hearing they were more likely to hear the teenagers, but both refused. He also asked Clint, and the spy was close to put on max his hearing aids to hear the kids, but one look of Steve and that was out of the window. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow in school” Peter said, in a higher tone. Michelle nodded.

“See you then. Don’t be late, alright? I don’t want Flash sitting next to me in English”.

“Alright” Peter laughed. 

“Oh, and your family is pretty neat”.

“You haven’t spent real time with them”.

Michelle rolled her eyes, punching Peter’s shoulder.

“We both know you don’t mean that. Anyway, I’ll make Ned so jealous tomorrow, when he finds out I’ve spent the evening here”.

“Oh, he won’t stop complaining to me, please don’t do that”.

“Then don’t be late” Michelle said, and then leaned to peck Peter’s cheek “See you tomorrow… Stark-Rogers”.

“See you tomorrow, Jones”. 

Michelle smiled one last time and then got into the elevator, doors shortly after closing. Peter sighed, and turned around. When he did, however, he saw the look on everyone’s faces and blushed deep.

“Please, don’t” he begged. 

“Someone has a crush!” Clint yelled, as loud as he could. Peter blushed even redder and looked at his Pops for help, but he was laughing too.

“Traitors” he mumbled, walking to where they were and plopping next to Bucky“. You’re all traitors”

The super soldier laughed and hugged his nephew to his body.

“Don’t worry, Punk. I’ll tell you all about flirting”.

“No one’s going to do that” Steve warned, and then pointed to his husband “. That goes for you, too”.

“But Steve” Sam said”, it’s all in the name of love” he said, exaggerating the ‘o’ in love. Peter wanted to disappear, knowing they were not going to let that die anytime soon.

“You guys are seriously the worst” he whispered, but he was smiling.

Because they weren’t the worst. They were a huge and crazy family. And Peter’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it! You know you can ask me to write a one shot, or a story, if you want to see something here! Next story will probably be split in chapters. Don't know when it'll be up, because finals are coming, so it may take a little bit... to complete, at least. I hope I can find the time, though.
> 
> Okay, I think that's all! Bye!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve leaves his home to protect his best friend, who is just a victim of HYDRA and brainwashing. He's desperate to not lose him again, but doesn't really think about what it's going to mean. After all, he's leaving his husband and their son behind...
> 
> What happens when he comes back? Will everything be back to what it was?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So, this is kind of a short story. I don't know how many chapters it'd be. I have them all written (when I'm stressed I write, and believe when I say I'm way too stressed right now), but I don't know how I'm going to divide it. Anyways, a few remarks:
> 
> -Peter is (once again) Tony and Steve's biological kid.
> 
> -They're still living in the Tower
> 
> -SHIELD is slowly rising again... this time without that many bs.
> 
> -Steve doesn't know for sure it's Bucky who murders Tony's parents. All he has is a suspicion.

_“Well, what do you think about all of this, Atkinson?”_

_“It’s for sure something the nation, and the world needed. We’re talking about the Avengers, Holt, the people who are supposed to protect us”._

_“Yes, but they went against the law, against 117 countries. They caused destruction and casualties, and don’t get me started about how Captain America helped an assassin”._

_“There’s always going to be damage, Avengers or not. They save us, and it’s thanks to them there’s still an Earth. What if there’s destruction? It’d be more if they didn’t do anything. As for Sergeant Barnes, there’s been enough evidence to prove he’s just a victim…”_

_“I still think it’s going to be problematic, these Pardons”._

_“And I have to agree with that, Holt. The rogues, now pardoned, are suppose to arrive tomorrow to New York. The last news we had from them…”_

Tony turned off the TV. He had a glass full of liquid on his hand, but it was not alcohol. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t, not when Peter was depending on him. He sighed, rubbing a hand through his face, and left the glass on the table.

“Fri, is Peter asleep?”

“No, sir. Young Peter didn’t fall asleep. Instead, he went to the roof, where he has been the past forty minutes”. Tony sighed again, thanking his A.I, and went to pour the tea down the sink, heading for the elevator once he did that and stopping on the roof. His son was sitting near the edge (not enough to make Tony’s heart weak, though), with his legs pulled up to his chest, both arms going around them. A huge blanket practically engulfed him, and his head was looking at the sky. One could think he was simply looking at the stars, but Tony knew better. He was looking for something. 

“Hi, Bambi” he said, sitting next to him. Peter smiled at him and opened the blanket, letting his father join him. Tony put an arm around his shoulders, Peter’s head falling to rest against his chest, and he tightened the blanket around them. 

“Hi, Dad”.

“Couldn’t fall asleep?”

“Even if I tried to, no” Tony hated his son was feeling like this. He wanted to do something, he wanted to make Peter feel better. He would kill to make that happen, even sell his soul to the demon. His son sighed, gaining his attention once again “. It’s happening tomorrow”.

“I know, baby”.

“They’re coming tomorrow, Dad”.

Tony sighed once again, hugging his son tighter to his body and kissing his head. 

“Yes, they’re coming. But I already told you, Peter. If you’re not comfortable with this, with them here, we can buy something in Queens. I know you love Queens. Or something close to Midtown, I don’t know, something smaller than the Tower. A nice penthouse, maybe. Just you and me”.

“Honestly, Dad? I’d love to. I… I hated when everything changed, two years ago. And know things are changing again, and I don’t know if I’m strong enough”.

“Then we’ll move, honey, and it’s okay”.

“No, Dad”.

“No? You just told me you’d love to”.

“Yes, I’d love to, but it’s not happening. Dad, this is our home, alright? This is where we belong, as hard as it can be. I don’t want to move, as nervous as I can be, or as tempting as sometimes is”.

“You’re way more mature than I was at your age” Tony sighed, kissing his son’s head once again. Peter laughed, snuggling close to him “. Peter, I will only do what is comfortable to you, alright?”

“Okay”.

“Your father is going to want to talk to the both of us. I don’t have a problem in talking to him-“

“Because you’re still in love with him”.

“Peter-“

“It’s okay, Dad. Pops is the love of your life, and sometimes you’re too… good for your own behalf. I can’t keep you away from him, it’s not fair. If you want to forgive him I can’t stop you”.

“Pete, I do love your father,probably always will, and I miss him. But it’s been years, son, and so many things have changed. I don’t know what is going to happen. There’s a chance we divorce, and it’s a big possibility right now”.

“I’ll be there for you, no matter your decision, Papà”. 

“And you’re the best son of the world for doing it. Now, what will you do?”

“I wish I had an answer to that. Honestly, I… I don’t want him to see what he did to me. I don’t want him to get close to me, not after he hurt me the way he did. I won’t be keeping him out of my life, though”.

“In what way?”

“I’ll keep living my life, Dad. And if he’s there when I talk about Spider-Man, or MJ, or colleges, or whatever, then it’s okay. I don’t have to explain shit to him”.

“You only want to do that to show him what he has missed”.

“Maybe. But he has missed a lot, Dad”.

“I know, baby boy, I know”. They stayed in silence then, just looking at the sky, even when they could barely see any stars with the New York’s lights. They stayed like that so long that Tony thought Peter had fallen asleep. He was about to carry him to his bed when Peter’s head moved and looked up at him, his Bambi eyes full of fear. Tony’s heart clenched at it.

“Dad, promise me something”.

“Whatever you want, Bambi”.

“It’s been you and me against the world for two years, now. Can we not change that? Just you and me in the Penthouse, just you and me for now”.

It pained Tony to make that promise. He missed Steve way too much, his body even ached for him. But Peter was more important. He always had been more important, for the both of them, and after Steve had left them both… yes, it was Tony and Peter against the world. Both had demons surrounding Steve, and too powerful at the moment. He kissed Peter’s forehead and rested his own against it.

“I promise. You and me. Fighting together”.

“Forever”.

“Forever”. 

 

 

In Wakanda everyone was gathered in one of the many living rooms, which was usually occupied by them. They were all sitting in one big circle, and the events that were taking place the next day made everyone buzz with anticipation. No one could really sleep, so each of them took turns to say what they missed most, what they were looking forward the most to see or do.

“I honestly miss my mom’s cooking” Sam sighed “I want to go to her house to eat, first thing”.

“You know we have to be supervised” Clint reminded him “, but I guess if they approve, you can. Okay, Steve, how about you?”

The blond sighed, running a hand through his hair. Everyone knew what he missed most, and he didn’t really want to talk, but it was only fair to the others to be honest.

“My family. I miss Tony, and I miss Peter. It’s been two years, he was a scrawny kid when I last saw him, he… must be a full teenager by now”. 

“I miss them, too” Natasha whispered, and Steve smiled at her gently.

“I want to say how sorry I am to Tony” Bucky whispered “, even if I know the deaths caused by the Winter Soldier were not my fault, I want to talk to him and apologise. And I really want to meet your son, punk. I’d never thought I would say that, back in the War but I want to get to know your kid”.

“He’s a pretty cool kid” Clint said”, he has Steve’s tenderness and I’d say they have a similar nose”.

“He has Tony’s curls, tho” Steve smiled, smiling when thinking of his precious son and husband. 

“He sounds like an amazing child” Bucky smiled.

“Okay, can we be honest for a moment, here?” Scott asked, making everyone to look at him.

“Explain” Wanda demanded.

“We’re all saying the things we miss, but what we truly miss? Like, our deepest needs?”

Everybody stayed silent for a few moments. Slowly, everybody started to give their answers. Some of them were funny, others more embarrassing. Steve was left last, and he felt how his face reddened at the thought.

“Come on, Cap” Clint said “, we all said what we miss most”. 

“Yes, come on, say it” Scott smiled, obviously glad to be there amongst the other heroes. Steve was still getting to know the ant, and sometimes he was confused by him. 

“Steve…if you don’t say on your own I’ll make you do it” Natasha said, smiling in a devil manner.

“Jesus, alright!” Steve exclaimed “I miss… well, I miss sex, goddamn it! I miss having nights with my husband, isn’t that normal?”

“Pretty normal” Sam shrugged “, but we like to see you blush”. Steve tried really hard to not flip him off, but failed. Bucky laughed openly at him.

“You’re as prude as little Steve, back in the 40’s”

“Don’t let him fool you” Natasha said “He’s not that prude, this Steve”.

“Okay, enough” Steve said, but was smiling, although he soon lost it “. Besides, it’s not like I’m getting anything anytime soon… I still don’t know if I’m going to be able to save my marriage”.

“You still love Tony” Natasha said “, and Tony loves you back, I know that. A love like yours can’t be forgotten”.

“And you have Peter” Wanda reminded him “, you have a son who is both yours, something that links you forever”.

“I hurt them both” Steve sighed “, pretty badly. Right now I’m going to ask for forgiveness, not go back into their lives like nothing happened”.

“If you need help” Natasha said “, you know you have us”.

“Thanks, guys. I’m sure I’ll need it”. 

 

The hours passed terribly slow for Steve, but early in the morning they boarded the Quinjet which was meant to take them home, back to the Avengers Tower. The flight there was mostly silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Every once in a while someone tried to talk, but it didn’t last long. They were tired, and just wanted to go home and rest. It wasn’t only Steve who missed home, or Tony and Peter, specially the later, who had become like the group’s child. The Captain was right, Peter must’ve grew up quite a lot, and they wanted to see him desperately. After a few hours, which seemed days, they arrived to New York, landing Upstate. The Tower wasn’t big enough to have a Quinjet land on it. There was no one they knew there, only afew cars to take them to the Tower. They got in and had another silent ride, this time no one speaking in none of the cars. 

They got into the Tower by one of the hidden entrances. According to the drivers, there was a sea of reporters in the main doors, trying to catch a glimpse of them. They got out of the Tower and, to their surprise, Vision was there.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen” he greeted them. Wanda tried to capture his gaze, but was not successful “. I hope you had a good trip back to New York. I’ll show you your quarters and I’ll tell you the new rules. They’re pretty much what you know already, but it’s protocol”. 

“There’s no one else in the building?” Natasha asked, quirking an eyebrow. Vision turned around and went to the elevator, quickly followed by the others heroes. 

“There’s people in this building apart of us, Miss Romanoff”. 

“Are my husband and son in here?” Steve asked, weakly. A part of him stupidly dreamed of them waiting for him, but he knew that was not happening. 

“Yes, they are. They’re both in the Penthouse. Mister Stark is working on some projects, I believe”.

“And Peter?”

“Young Peter was doing his homework last time I checked, twenty minutes ago. He was almost done, though, so maybe he’s helping Tony in developing some new ideas”. 

“Can I see them?”

“I have to show you all your quarters first, Captain” the android said. Steve sighed, smiling at Sam when he had put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It’s not like he was expecting to go back to the Penthouse, he knew he was not going to- at least, not that easily. He knew he was not going to move back with them, but hearing it made it too real. He was out of their home, and it was his own fault. 

Vision showed them all their floors and comunal area, and explained to them what they already knew about the Accords. 

“Who will come with us if we want to leave the Tower?” Wanda asked, bothered by having to be supervised.

“Mister Stark thought that condition was not entirely fair. He couldn’t suppress it, but came to an agreement. As long as someone knows you’re leaving, you’re good to go on your own”.

“So who do we have to tell?” Clint asked.

“You can tell Mister Stark, or me. Even Colonel Rhodes, if you’re more comfortable with that idea. We know you are trust-worthy, despite our confrontation years ago. Well, if there’s no more doubts, I’ll leave, now. Have a nice evening” Vision said, heading to the elevators again. They had finished the tour in the comunal floor, and everyone went to the kitchen to have some type of dinner, but Steve decided he had to talk with Vision before he left.

“Vision, wait” he went towards the android, gently touching his arm. He turned around and smiled politely at him.

“Yes, Captain Rogers?”

“Stark-Rogers” Steve reminded him. He usually went for Rogers in the battlefield - it was easier, and shorter-, but now he felt like he had to show he still was Tony’s husband.

“Of course, sir. What’s the matter, Captain Stark-Rogers?”

“I just wanted to know… if I could go to the Penthouse. I want to see my boys”.

“I’m afraid right now you can’t. It’s dinner time, and I’m sure Tony and Peter want to have a quiet night. You can see them tomorrow, if nothing goes wrong”.

Steve tried to shallow his disappointment, and reminded himself he couldn’t arrive and expect to be granted with forgiveness and a normal life like nothing happened. He was going to have to fight for it. Still… he ached for being this faraway from them.

“Can you at least tell me if they’re okay?”

“Tony and Peter seemed okay last time I saw them. Peter is a little bit stressed, because his finals are coming, but other than that, both are fine”.

“So they don’t miss me…” he whispered, not really to anyone but himself. Vision sighed, resting a hand on Steve’s shoulder, and the Captain marvelled at how human he seemed. He definitely had evolved.

“We all missed you in this Tower, Captain. We missed you, and the rest of the team”. 

“But things are complicated right now, huh?”

“Yes, that seems like a fair observation. Now, Mr. Stark-Rogers, I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow”.

“See you tomorrow, Vision. And thanks”.

Vision nodded and finally left, not bothering to wait for the elevator to come. Steve shook his head fondly, remembering all of the scares the android had given them when he appeared out of nowhere, and went with his friends, who were trying to prepare dinner.

“Everythin’ okay, punk?”

“Yes, jerk” Steve punched Bucky’s shoulder, and the brunet glared at him, still eating a cookie.

“What took you so long?” Natasha asked.

“I wanted to ask Vis about Tony and Peter, see if they’re okay”.

“See if you could talk to them, am I wrong?” Clint asked, knowingly. 

“I wanted to go to the Penthouse, but I understand if that’s too intruding”.

“It’s your Penthouse, too, your home” Wanda scoffed “, you’re not intruding”.

“I am. They had to learn to live without me for two years, Wanda. If I suddenly appear back into their lives… it’s not fair, to them”.

The witch sighed, but kept her mouth shut.

“So, when will you try to talk to them?” Sam asked, popping chips into his mouth.

“Tomorrow, or as soon as I can. I’m going to fight for them”. 

“And we’ll help you, don’t forget that” Natasha reminded him. Steve smiled and felt a little bit more at home. He was at the Tower, the two loves of his life only a few floors up, and things were going to be okay. They had to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I know it's shorter than what I usually upload, but this is a short story. There'll be more chapter than usual, but shorter. Hopefully I can upload soon. I don't know how many chapters are going to be, but I hope you liked this first one!
> 
> Oh, and leave your requests, if you have any!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second part of this little series!! 
> 
> We get to explore more the consequences of Steve leaving.
> 
> I still don't know how many parts this will be, even though I have it finished lmao. Don't know when I'll upload the rest, too. I'm uploading today because I did my first final and it went well, so I had a little bit of time. So, yeah... I'll try to post as soon as I can or it's possible, but we'll see.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder:
> 
> -Peter is Stony's kid.
> 
> -Steve leaves after Civil War, leaving Tony and Peter alone.
> 
> -He hasn't talked to them in over two years.
> 
> -Now he's back... so let's see what happens

_ Steve smiled and felt a little bit more at home. He was at the Tower, the two loves of his life only a few floors up, and things were going to be okay. They had to.  _

 

 

So, they kind of weren’t. They had a good breakfast next day, all nervous about being back in New York. Steve was almost bouncing on his toes, dying to see his husband and son. He had barely got any sleep, and only drank coffee, not having the stomach for anything else. It was Sunday, so he knew Peter was going to be home, not having high-school, and Tony never went to his Office on Sundays. Not like he usually did any other day, but Sundays were a no-go, always. So, they were both going to be in the Penthouse and, if not, in the lab. Steve was nervous beyond words, but also wanted to see his husband and their baby boy. However, SHIELD had another idea. Just as they were finished with their breakfast, FRIDAY’s voice came to life.

“Good morning. I’d like to announce that there’s an important meeting in floor twenty-eight about a mission. All of you are required, although it is not sure you’re all necessary for it”.

“SHIELD wants us to get back in the field already?” Scott asked. 

“Not exactly. For the moment, they want you comfortable with the idea of going back. If the situation requires it, whatsoever, then you’re going to have to go back to the field”. The heroes nodded, and then went to the floor FRIDAY had told them to go. 

Honestly, Steve should’ve expected. They were not the only heroes in the building, that was for sure. But he hadn’t thought about _them_ being in the reunion. 

Granted, he had pictured how his reunion with Tony would be. He had imagined tears, and a numerous “sorry”. He had imagined embracing Tony while begging for him to hug him back, he even thought about kissing his forehead gently, if Tony let him. Kissing him full on the lips was a dream, but he knew it was not going to be that easy. Instead of that, it was all so… anti-climax. Tony was there, and boy, did he look _good._ Seriously, that man seemed to not age, or age backwards. He looked way too sexy… was it even legal to look that way? He wore a navy blue dress pants and a vest that was the same color, and under that a white shirt and a loose tie. He had shoved his hands in his pockets, and Steve could tell how tensed he actually was. Tony was good in hiding those things, and probably everyone else thought he was at ease, but Steve knew his husband better than anyone in the Universe. He knew each and everyone of his quirks. He opened his mouth to talk to his husband, but, first of all, he was kind of numb. His heart was acting all weird and his mouth felt dry. And, second of all, he realised Tony was looking at someone else. For a moment he thought of Vision, and even Rhodey, but when he looked… Dear God, it was _Peter._ His son was casually sitting in the chair in front of Tony, with one leg brought up to his chest, resting his chin in his knee. Steve felt his stomach turn.

His baby boy had grown up. His brown curls were longer and wilder, his eyes as big and Bambi-like as he remembered. He still had a kindand cute face, but it had grow to be also handsome. He was not a scrawny kid anymore, not at all. He still seemed short (so, like Tony), but had definitely filled up, not looking scrawny anymore. He seemed like a full-on teenager, like Steve had suspected. He was a young man, now. And Steve had missed it. 

“Great, you’re all here” Fury said, appearing out of nowhere “. Take seat, and I hope it doesn’t take too long”.

“I was actually having a good day, Nick” Tony said, ignoring the new presences in the room. Steve’s heart ached for him “, so… why did you bother us?”

“I’m sorry for ruining your morning, Tony” Fury said sarcastically “, but we’ve detected strange activities in Queens”.

“Where in Queens?” Peter asked, surprising all of the heroes. His voice was deeper, and he sounded so sure of himself, nothing like fourteen-year-old Peter.

“Corona” Fury answered, and the teenager visibly relaxed. 

“Sucks for you, you still have high school tomorrow” Tony teased, making Peter roll his eyes dramatically. 

“You’re so funny, Dad”. 

“I know, right?”

“Hey, geniuses” Fury called them “. We’re in a meeting. As I was saying, there’s a weird activity going on. We’ve traced them, and it all pint points to West Clark, a man who was involved in a weird accident, a while back. We think he can be a mutant and must have weapons strong enough to attack New York. Maybe some Chitauri tech”.

“Wait, like Toomes?”

“Yes, Peter”.

“I thought we got rid of all Chitauri tech when I put him I jail. Why does this West Clark have any?”

“That’s what we don’t-“

“Wait, Toomes had a side chick we never got” Tony interrupted him. Fury sighed, massaging his temples.

“We got him, Tony. The Shocker, remember?”

“That was not who I was referring to. There was someone else… Toomes was a smart man, but he couldn’t come up with the idea of all of the weapons he was selling”.

“There was someone else” Peter agreed “, so what if he got away with some of the weapons and it’s still selling them, in a much smaller crowd? In the underground”.

“That would actually make sense” Tony said”, I mean, we’ve been getting weird accidents from the Underground for moths. He must’ve waited until the commotion of Toomes died a little…”

“And then went to sell his own weapons, without Toomes controlling him”.

“It’s genius… not being evil, I’d consider hiring him”. 

“Are you two done?” Fury asked, acting like that was a common occurrence. Steve was too dumb-struck to talk, and that went for the rest of the heroes, too. He had so many questions… since when his son was allowed to be in those reunions? ‘ _I put him in jail’_ , as in, his teenage son fought someone and put him behind bars? He felt dizzy with all the new and confusing information. 

“Yeah, sorry” Peter murmured, blushing a bit. Ah, there was the Peter everybody remembered. Steve couldn’t help himself, and smiled a bit when he saw that. Tony looked briefly in his direction then, capturing his attention, but quickly looked away. 

“As I was saying, I want a small team to go and stop him”.

“Is he a serious threat?” Tony asked. 

“Not yet, and that’s why we have to stop him, now. This mutant seems to adopt the form of a reptile. He’s volatile and cold-minded, but his biggest weapon is that he spits venom. So you have to be careful with that”.

“Wait” Peter stopped him “, if West Clark… oh, hold up, his initials are WC”

“So he’s like the toilet paper” Tony snorted. 

“Now, _that’s_ a good nickname. Mister Toilet Paper is a mutant.That alone could serve him to attack New York, so why the weapons?”

“More damage” Tony simply answered. Fury sighed and threw his hands in the air, knowing he was not going to be able to form more than two sentences. 

“Yes, but something seems fishy”.

“So, what are you saying?”

“I say… there’s two options. One, he actually doesn’t have any weapons, which is unlikely, given the records, and two, he’s not a mutant. Fury, has he been seen with his mutant form?”

“Not really, Peter. We only got the testimony of a neighbour”.

“Who can perfectly lie” Tony complained “Fury, he has fooled us. He’s trying to create this facade for us to fear him. He’s probably getting more and more weapons, and who knows if he wants to reclute more people”.

“An army?” Peter asked “That’s more serious than a crazy Toiler Paper dude”.

“That’s why” Fury said, trying to lead the conversation again “we need a team to go and stop him. Now, even if he’s not a mutant, we need to stop him”.

“The weapons the Chitauri tech creates are powerful, but if there’s only one guy we’ll be able to stop him easily” Peter shrugged. Tony nodded towards his son.

“Dam right. Suit up, and I’ll see you in the roof in five minutes top. I tell Vision, go”

Peter nodded fast, and left the room in a hurry, not even looking at Steve. Tony also stood up quickly, but Fury stopped him.

“Stark, if he’s a mutant, bring him to the facility”

The engineer nodded, his back towards Steve. The blond was looking at him intensely, almost burning a hole in his back. _Please turn around, honey, please turn around…_

“Got it, Nick. And remember: it’s Stark-Rogers”

After that, he left, but his job was done. Steve felt like he had thousands of butterflies on his chest and he was sure he was smiling stupidly. His husband was still acknowledging their bond, still identifying himself as Stark-Rogers, just like Steve was still doing. That had to mean something, that tended a bridge between them… and maybe the door to get to it wasn’t completely opened, but with that statement, maybe a window was cracked for him. He didn’t even noticed Fury little knowing-smirk, or how his friends were also smiling shyly. Only Scott seemed confused.

“What just happened?” He asked, breaking Steve out off his little bubble. 

“That was a reunion, a short one” Fury said “, and with two of the Stark-Rogers” he said, casually looking at Steve “, a chaotic one. Now… welcome back, Avengers. It’s been a long time, and we’ve all missed you”. 

“Why was my son in here, Nick?” Steve asked, not even trying to be polite towards the director. Fury sighed, finally taking a seat.

“Peter has been a part of these reunions since he was fifteen. No” he said before Steve could talk “, he’s not one of you. Not yet, at least. He does some minor missions, not too dangerous. He’s training, though. He’s… an Avenger in training, you could say. He’ll become one once he’s older, and that’s the only condition Tony had, for Peter to at least go to college before join the family business”. 

Steve sighed, too, running a hand through his hair. His son becoming an Avenger was truly shocking, and he didn’t know what to do with the information.

“So while we were gone, you decided to make our nephew a rising Avenger” Natasha said “, with Tony’s consent”.

“So many things happened while you were away, Romanoff. Now, as I said, we’re all happy to have you back”.

“That goes for the father-son duo, too?” Clint asked “‘Cause they didn’t even look at us”.

“Things are still complicated, Barton. Talk things through, and give them some time. You don’t know what happened while you were gone, just as we don’t know what happened to you. Now, on a serious note: you’re expected to return to be active members of the Avengers in the next two weeks. We’ll re-introduce you to the world slowly but surely. People have missed you, and because of that you’re lucky. You could be the object of hate, but people still love you”.

“What do we do until we can work again?” Sam asked.

“Try to solve everything that happened. We want you working as a team, and that means all of you. The shit-show that happened cannot break this team. And, as for your marriage “he said, directly looking at Steve “, not because Tony still goes by your name means he forgave you, nor he’s okay with everything that happened. As a friend now, Captain, you have a lot of work to do, if you want to save your marriage”.Steve nodded, serious

“I understand, Nick. Thank you”. The director of SHIELD looked at him with a fond smile, standing up and starting to leave the room.

“It’s no problem, Captain. I think you guys can get trough this, but you gotta act fast. We all know how volatile Tony can be”.

Steve nodded, and then saw how Fury left the room. His teammates looked at him, clearly expecting him to talk.

“What?” He practically growled. Natasha tilted her head.

“You just saw your husband and your son, after two years. How are you?”

“Fantastic. They ignored me, didn’t even look at me, and then went to fight without me being able to help them, and the worst part is that I deserve all of that. I’m fantastic”.

“Things will get better” Sam told him, trying to light up his mood. Steve nodded, trying to convince himself.

“If I work hard enough, then yes, they will. However, right now I can’t go and talk to them. So I suggest we all do what pleases us the most” he said, and didn’t wait to hear an answer, leaving the room incredibly fast. He went straight to the gym, and when Bucky arrived not even five minutes later, both of them trained in silence. It was that way for almost three hours, when…

“Captain, I think you’d like to know your spouse and child have returned from the mission, alongside Vision and Colonel Rhodes”.

Steve stopped training immediately, and Bucky did, too.

“Are they okay?” He asked, weakly.

“Affirmative, Captain. They came without an injury, although Sir forced Peter to have a check up, something he always does if Young Peter goes on a mission”.

“That’s good” he breathed “. So, they’re in the infirmary” 

“Affirmative once again”. Steve bit his bottom lip, running a hand through his hair. He was a little bit sweaty, tired and emotionally exhausted, but… it was tempting. He looked at his best friend, and he nodded, smiling softly at him.

“Go, punk”

Steve didn’t need anything else, and took off way too fast to see Tony and Peter. When he arrived, his son was sitting in one of the beds in the infirmary, dressed in sweatpants and a Stark Industries hoodies, and Tony stood in front of him, smiling softly at his only son. Their son. 

“Dad, I told you I’m fine”.

“I know kiddo, but I always like for you to get a check up after a mission, you know that”.

“I do, but I’m fine”.

“Good” Tony said, and then looked up, freezing when his eyes locked with Steve’s. They sparkled a little bit, and clearly Peter noticed it, too, because he turned to look at his father “.Steve”

“Hi” he said, shy “. I’m sorry if I interrupt, I heard you guys came back and I wanted to check up on you, and also… say hi. Formally”.

He cursed himself the second he said it. _Say hi, formally?_ For fucks shake, he was away for two years, he wasn’t meeting with some senator. However, bless him, Tony knew him enough to know he was nervous as hell.

“Hi. Sorry for keeping you out this long, it was… complicated”.

“I understand, don’t worry, I can’t… I can’t be asking for anything”.

“Damn right you can’t” Peter murmured. Tony looked at him in a mix of frustration and worry. 

“Peter”

“He’s right” Steve said “, it’s okay. Are… are you guys okay?”

“Dandy” Peter said, standing up “. Dad, I’ll be in the Penthouse. It’s getting late and tomorrow I have high school”.

Before any of them could mutter something in return, Peter had left for his room. Tony looked at his husband apologetically, and Steve shivered when he realised they were alone, just the two of them.

“Sorry about Peter. He… it’s hard for him” Steve remained silent, and Tony saw it as a bad thing, choosing to talk and not realising his husband was getting closer and closer to him “. What’s with the Lumberjack look? I had to ask, sorry, because in all of the years I’ve known you you never went for it, and it kind of looks like you’ve given up, which is a shame, you know”.

Steve stopped his talk when he dared to grab Tony’s hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing it gently. He smiled when he noticed Tony still wore the wedding ring, sitting heavy in his index finger, on his left hand. 

“Tony, I’m sorry” he said “. For everything”.

“I know. You said it on your letter, Steve”. The blond sighed, still holding Tony’s hand, running his thumb over the wedding band.

“I’m sorry about the letter, too. You deserved more, but I was scared. I didn’t know what to do”.

“I know, Steve. I know you, and I know why you did what you did. But…” he said, brushing Steve off and putting his hand away “you abandoned us. I get Bucky is important, but I’m your husband, and we have a kid”.

“I know, baby, I know. And I didn’t want to be away for this long, you know. I… everything escalated way too quickly, and it became really messy in such a short time…”

“Well, that’s true”.

“I should’ve told you about searching for Bucky. I should’ve told you I suspected your parent’s accident was not actually an accident, but I was scared”.

“I get it, Steve. You were trying to save Bucky”.

“Yes” confessed Steve “. He needed help, he…”

“He’s just another victim, I know”. Steve sighed, kneeling in front of his husband and hugging him tight to his body, resting his head on his stomach.

“Tony, I’m not asking for you to let me back into your lives overnight, but I want to be there for you. I’m so sorry, I thought things were going to be easier. Did I know this was going to happen, I would’ve done things much differently. I hate to see you in pain, I hate seeing Peter like that, and I know things are going to be complicated, but I’m going to fight for us, sweetheart” 

Tony sighed, running a hand through Steve’s hair. He grabbed Steve shoulders then and put Steve away. The soldier was going to stand up and apologise, but his husband kneeled in front of him, smiling.

“Things are going to be hard” he said “. So hard. And we have to make a few things clear”.

“Sure, sure, whatever you want”.

“First of all, I want completely sincerity in this household. No more secrets”.

“Yes, yes, of course”.

“You’ll go my way. Our way, one we both make”

“Yes”

“If… if Peter is not comfortable with us back together, then we’ll separate, Steve”

“Tony…”

“I want the best for our kid, Steve. And if us together is going to upset him, then I’ll make the sacrifice”

Steve sighed, but nodded. Tony grabbed his hand, this time being him the one to run his thumb over Steve’s ring.

“Okay, honey,” the Captain finally said” the best for our son. But I hope that doesn’t happen and we get to be a family again”.

“Honestly? I hope so, too. Look, sweetheart” Steve looked up at the pet name, a small smile lighting up his face “what I want is… youcoming back into our lives, slowly. We’re not going to rush up things, okay? Specially not with Peter. He’s still adjusting, let him do it at the time he marks. But you can go to the Penthouse if Peter’s okay with it, and not overwhelming him, of course. But… we’re going to work on you coming back to our lives”.

“And what happens to us, Tony?”

“Well, we said forever, right? I don’t know if I can go totally back to what we were right now. I love you, Steve, always will do, but I want to know this new you”.

“I haven’t changed. I’m still Steve, and I love you”.

“I know, hon, but two years have passed. I’ve been in love with you for so many years, I don’t think is going to change, so don’t worry. But I still want to know what happened in these two years, get to know the new you”

“Same can be said for me, then”. Steve nodded, beyond grateful for this new opportunity “. And thank you, baby. Thank you so much” Tony smiled, resting his forehead against Steve’s “. I can’t kiss you yet, right?”

“Not yet, sweetheart. I… I’m not going to be able to stop, if you kiss me. And I’m not sure if I’m ready to”.

“I understand, dear. I want you to be sure” he said, kissing Tony’s forehead. Tony sighed and kissed Steve’s, too, and then they stood up. 

“I’ll be going, now. I want to check if Peter’s okay”

“Sure. Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Sure thing”

Steve smiled and let Tony go, and when he was away, smiled wider. Gosh, he didn’t deserve Tony, but he was incredibly grateful he was going to give him another chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a clarification:
> 
> I know it can seem like Tony "forgives" Steve way too easily, maybe. The way I see it, Tony can be stubborn, but he (kind of) has this dependency with people. He has had two years to think about everything, to think about Steve's actions. He understands why he did what he did. He loves Steve, and he knows Steve loves him back. Tony is a genius, and as emotional constipated he can get, he's not an idiot. So he knows he loves and needs Steve, and he also misses him. That's why he decides to open a door for him. 
> 
> However, him understanding Steve's actions and wanting to 'know' each other again does NOT mean he has forgiven him, not totally. That's why he says they'll need time. And Peter's consent.
> 
> Another reason I wanted Tony to kind of let Steve be close again is because Peter is much more hurt than his Dad, as explained as it'll be. So I thought I'd give Steve someone he can truly rely on. 
> 
> Also, an important note: Steve didn't know Bucky was the murder of the Starks. He suspected HYDRA was behind it, though.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has told Steve they can try to work things out, but... what about Peter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I'm posting sooner than I expected, but I had my second final test today, and I felt great about it, so I thought: why not? 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy. If you have any type of doubts, just ask.

_ Steve smiled and let Tony go, and when he was away, smiled wider. Gosh, he didn’t deserve Tony, but he was incredibly grateful he was going to give him another chance. _

 

 

 

“Hey” Clint said, looking at Steve when he entered the kitchen, where the rest of them were starting dinner “. Everything okay?”

“Yes. I saw them”

“How was it?” Sam asked.

“Well, Peter left almost as soon as I got there. He seemed mad, but I can’t blame him. Tony told me it’s been hard for him, and I get it. He was, and still is, just a kid”

“And how it was with Tony? Did you talk to him?” Natasha asked. Steve smiled, nodding.

“Yes, I did. He’s willing to try” he said, and almost immediately after everyone was either smiling or cheering.

“That’s amazing” Bucky said, smiling shyly “. Happy to hear that, punk”.

“Yeah, well, it’s going to be tough. And he says… well, he says that even if we want to be together, if Peter is not okay with it we’ll separate”

“Damn, that’s harsh” Clint murmured.

“Hard, but I get it” Natasha sighed. Wanda tilted her head, clearly not doing it.

“I don’t, can you explain?”

“Peter is our priority” Steve answered for her “, he has been since he was born. And we’ll put him before us, no matter what”.

“But if he sees you want to be together” Wanda said “, he has to accept it”.

“Who knows” Steve shrugged “. If he’s uncomfortable then I can’t force him to accept me and Tony going back to our normal lives”.

“But you’re still married, aren’t yah?” Bucky asked.

“Yes, we are. Tony still wears the ring, just like I do”.

“That’s good” Sam smiled “, a good signal”. 

“Well, then it was a great day… kind of” Clint sighed “. Does anyone want to eat? I’m starving”. 

 

Next morning, Steve woke up early to go to the gym. It was weird waking up in the Tower without Tony beside him, but he knew he needed time, and, at that point, Steve was going to do everything Tony needed to be comfortable with him once again. Yes, they both had fucked up, but Steve had left. That was why Peter was mad, that was why Tony was still uncomfortable with him, and that was why Steve despised himself. He had the most sexy and amazing and gorgeous and… okay, he had to stop thinking like _that._ He had the most incredible husband and the best son he could ever ask for, and he had messed up. But, he was going to fix it.

“Punk, you coming to the gym?” Bucky asked, leaning on his door frame. Steve smiled and nodded, going to the bathroom to wash his face and change into some work out clothes, and then went with his best friend. 

“You know, your husband has good taste” he said “. This house… damn it, Stevie”.

“Yeah, well” the blond laughed “, he wanted everything to be more eccentric. I convinced him to be a mix between vintage and modern. That way, we could have both of our worlds with us”

“Both of your worlds. Tony was born after ‘vintage’”

“Shut up”

They both made it to the living room, in where Sam and Natasha were waiting for them. They got into the elevator and went to the gym, but someone was already there. _Peter._

The teenager was in work out clothes, punching a bag merciless, non-stop. His movements were actually pretty okay, and had a quiet of the technique in there. Steve remembered Fury’s words about how they were training Peter to become an Avenger, and wondered if they were teaching him how to fight. He also wondered what exactly his son could do to be put in the team.

He definitely had grew up, and he was no longer the scrawny kid he was when Steve had left. His shoulders were bigger, and so were his arms. He still was slim, just like Tony, but the kid had muscles. When the hell had his son turned into a young man? Oh, right. In the two years he was away.

Peter was punching harder and faster, but was barely sweating, or putting that much effort. He gave a special hard punch, and the bag broke, being thrown into the floor.

“Did that bag do something to you?” Natasha asked, half impressed by her nephew and half amused. Peter turned, his messy brown curls kind of damp because all of the exercise falling before his eyes. He ran a hand trough his hair and put them aside, almost glaring at them. Steve decided to talk, nervous.

“Good morning, Peter. Were you training?”

“Well, yes. But I was finishing, so you can have the gym all for yourselves”

“You don’t have to leave, son”.

“Actually, yes I do. I have to shower, pick MJ and go to high school, and I don’t have that much time”.

“Oh, sure. I, um… I could drive you, if you want. I’m sure your Dad would be okay with that”

“Yeah, well” Peter shrugged, going for a clean towel and throwing it over his shoulder “, have to pass. I can drive myself, thank you so much”

“You have a car?” Steve asked, surprised “And a license?”

“Yes, and yes. Wow, how many things can one person miss, huh?” He asked, rising an eyebrow “. Now, if you excuse me, I don’t want to be late. Goodbye”.

He passed them and left the gym, getting in the elevator. Steve looked in his direction and sighed.

“He has attitude” Bucky smiled “. A little punk, like you”.

“He has the attitude of a mad teenager” Natasha sighed “, and Tony’s stubbornness, which I don’t know if it’s good”.

“He’s right to be mad” Steve said “, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t want my only son to hate me”.

“He doesn’t hate you, man” Sam told him “, this is normal, alright? He was only fourteen when we all left him and Tony, so it’s normal for Peter to act this way. He probably fears what is going to happen now. Is a normal human reaction”.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not bad, and the worst part is that I was the one who did that to my kid. And now it’s like he’s a different person”

“It’s been two years, and he’s in his teenage years” Natasha said, shrugging “, now it’s the time for him to change and grow”.

“Maybe. But he has a license, a car, and did you see him? He was punching this bag almost like a pro”

“They’re training him” Bucky reminded him. 

“Steve, be patient” Sam said “, and don’t loose hope. Pete’s a good kid. He’ll come around”.

Steve sighed again, but nodded. Bucky went to pick up the bag that Peter had broke, and was so surprised when…

“Fuck, I can barely lift this. Steve, why does your punk have super strength?”

 

Tony was in his kitchen, having decided to take a break from the lab. He had a hard time focusing, anyways, with Steve being all of the time in his mind. The talk they had was repeating over and over again in his head, his husband’s words, his eyes full of regret and love. Tony wanted to forgive him, but a part of him yelled he was an idiot for doing so. Steve left, he left Peter and he left him. But, at the same time, Tony could get why. And it was not like Steve wanted to leave for that long. He clearly wanted Peter and him back, and it was clear he regretted the way he had done things. 

“Tony?” He heard, and then turned around to see Steve himself, looking at him shyly.

“Steve, good morning. Did you need anything?”

“No, I… well, you said I could see you today, and I wanted to check on you. I thought you’d be in your workshop, so I went there first, but surprisingly, you were not”

“I’m having a hard time focusing, so I decided to take a break”.

“I’m sorry”

“You’re not my only problem, Rogers, so don’t worry”

Steve bit his bottom lip, getting closer to him.

“I’m still sorry. And I remembered what you told me yesterday, about getting to know each other more, after two years, and I…. I don’t know, I thought we could get started on that one”

Tony sipped his coffee in silence, looking directly at Steve. The blond seemed nervous, and incredibly unsure of himself. Tony hated to see him like that.

“It’s a good idea, Steve. You can go to the living room, take a seat, get comfortable. Do you want anything to drink?”

“I could drink some coffee. But you don’t have to do it, I know how to work through this kitchen” he said, trying to not feel like some guest. That was still his house, his home, the one in where Tony and him raised their son. 

“I know that, sweetheart, but my coffee it’s always been better”

Steve smiled fondly and nodded, and let Tony have his way. He went to their living room and decided to look around, trying to see what had changed. It was pretty much the same, even the same pictures (and, _God,_ he was so grateful for that. He didn’t know what he’d done if he didn’t saw them. It was their life, and if they disappeared it was like they were erasing Steve from their memories. But they were still there, so it was okay). There were books piled in the table, and it seemed Peter’s. A sweatshirt was thrown in one of the couches, and Steve could only guess it was Peter’s, too. Apart from those details, the space was exactly the same. 

“Hey” he heard, and turned around to see Tony, with a soft expression on his face. He hold two cups of steaming coffee “, are you okay?”

“Yeah” Steve said, and he hated how weak it came out “, just… wanted to see this place for a long time. I wanted to go back since the moment I left”

“Yeah, well, home is home, huh?”

“Home is wherever you and Peter are, but… yes. This is home” Tony smiled brightly, and Steve knew his answer had been correct. He gave him his cup of coffee, bringing his own to his lips, and they went to the couch, sitting not too faraway from each other. 

“I got to say, and forgive me if it offends you, but… I’m surprised by your decision of turning into a sexy lumberjack”

Steve almost chocked with his coffee, smiling widely at Tony, who was looking right back at him with an amused smile. 

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have the time to shave and cut my hair. And it’s not like I wanted to, anyway… you don’t like it?”

“Honey, I like everything you decide to do with your hair and body. Have you seen yourself? You’re pretty damn sexy. Although, it’s like the beard the divorced parents wear, you know…”

“I can shave it” Steve offered “, it itches, anyway”

“I don’t mind it, honestly. But I wouldn’t mind you shaving it, either. In all honestly, it might help you with Peter. With this look you remind him what has happened, which doesn’t help your cause”.

“Then I’ll shave it as soon as I can”

“I can help you” Tony offered “. With your hair, too, if you want”

Steve smiled, nodding.

“Thank you, honey”.

“Hey, for better and for worst, was it. Now… how have you been?”

“These last three days, or the last two years?”

“Let’s start with the three days, for now”

“Well, it’s amazing to be finally back home, and to be close to you and Peter. However, I… things with Peter haven’t been the best”.

“I told you he’s still adjusting”

“I know. And I’m willing to give him time, but it’s hard, Tony. I feel like our child hates me”

“Peter doesn’t hate you. I think he’s just… overwhelmed, and confused. It’s different for you and me. You’re a hundred years old, I’m a little bit younger “Steve rolled his eyes fondly at his husband”, but Peter is just sixteen. He was even younger when you left”

“I know”

“I think he gets why you did what you did, but it’s hard for him. Pete’s a good kid, you know that, and he barely complains about anything… but, and I’m only guessing, he has decided to pour all of his frustration and teenage angst into this. It’s kind of the biggest thing that has happened in this family”

“I don’t want him to hate me, or to not think of me as his Pops never again”

“Don’t be stupid, Steve. Peter still loves you, and still thinks of you as his Pops, alright? He’ll always do. You’re the one who held him when he was sick, you’re the one who taught him how to draw, the one who sang lullabies to him if he was scared, the one who picked him up from school if he could and then prepared him an amazing dinner. You’re his father, Steve, don’t ever forget that. It’s hard, for all of us, but Peter hasn’t forget you’re his Pops. He’s hurting this much because he can’t forget that”

Steve repressed a sob, wiping his eyes furiously. Tony’s words were soul-healing, and he hand’t know he needed to hear them until his husband had said them. Tony sighed affectionally and pulled him into a hug.

“Thank you” Steve whispered “, I think I needed that. The team, they… they try to help, but they don’t get this. They don’t know how it feels”

Tony kissed his husband hair, running his hands through it. 

“It’s okay. We’ll get through this. We’ve been through so much, this shit show is not going to break us apart. It’ll take time, but we’re going to make it”

“Yes, I promise. We’ll make it”

Tony nodded, and then they spend the next hours talking about what had happened in the last two years. Without secrets, with pure honesty. Steve found out about Peter’s ‘accident’ and how he was basically a superhuman now. He was relieved when Tony told him he controlled his every move, and when he told him about all of the protocols his suit had (a suit who had an AI named Karen, he learned) Steve only wanted to kiss the breath out of that amazing husband he had the luck of having. Tony also told him about Rhodey’s new legs, and Vision development, and he told Steve how he had been in the last two years. Steve then told him about going to Wakanda, about Bucky’s treatment and how hard it was for the brunet to decide to go back in cyro. He was happy when Tony showed interest for his best friend.

“The Winter Soldier killed my parents” he said “, not Bucky. Bucky is just the victim, it’d be unfair for me to hate him, or hold it against him. He seems like a good man, and he helped you when you were sick, and defended you when you were a little punk. I want to know him, but at the moment we’re okay”

Steve also told him how lonely he had been. He knew the phone and letter had been shitty, but he didn’t know what else to do. Tony rolled his eyes at him affectionately, but let him talk. They talked through basically all of their problems. By the end of the talk they both felt closer than they had been in the last years, and, even when they knew they had to work a lot more to go back to what they were, things were looking up.

“Just one more thing” Steve said, just when Tony had suggested to take a break from the conversation and watch a movie “, when I talked to Bambi this morning he mentioned one MJ… I don’t remember a MJ, so who is it?”

“Oh, Peter’s huge ass crush”

Steve smiled, amused.

“Crush, huh? Wait, how did he met… I don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy”

“It’s a girl, babe. Michelle Jones, remember her? Peter has known her since… pre-school, I think”

“Oh, yes… she was a little bit…”

“Weird? Yeah, she is, but Peter is crazy about her. She’s a nice kid, though, so I don’t complain”.

“Does she like him back?” 

“I actually think she does, but I’m not completely sure. They’re both oblivious and Peter’s so slow with these things. He actually got that from you”

Steve laughed, a good heartfelt laugh that cleared almost all of Tony’s worries. It had been a long time without that laugh, and he knew it had been a long time for Steve without laughing, too. It was a nice change.

“Good thing you’re quite the charmer”

Tony rolled his eyes, and turned to the TV. They ended up seeing one of the first movies they saw together as a couple. And, if they ended up passing out cold in the couch while cuddling, no one had to know.

 

 

 

Things went that way for weeks. Tony and Steve kept talking, healing their relationship. They went into a few missions together, slowly working into getting back to their dynamic, and the team was working more than okay. Peter had not participated in one of their missions yet, so Steve still had to see him in action.

Bucky was adapting so well. Tony and he were starting to talk without awkwardness surrounding them, and they actually were becoming fast friends. With a similar sense of humor and Steve as their common floor, the two were closer than anyone had expect them to. It was a slow work for all of them, but it was working.

Except for Peter. His son was as cold as the first time they had arrived. It had been almost two freaking months, but the teenager was still ignoring him and leaving him behind. Steve feared one day he was going to be greeted by divorce papers because Tony had had enough. Because, yes, their relationship was getting better, it really was, but they hadn’t even kissed. The farther they got was sweet cheek kisses, sometimes innocent ones in their heads or foreheads. Never on the lips. Never that passion they had. 

And it wasn’t like it had disappeared. Bucky teased him about the sexual tension there was between Tony and him, and Sam reminded him about his confession, their last night in Wakanda. Steve tried to ignore them, but it was hard when they were so right. 

It was already summer, and Steve was on his way to the Penthouse. With his son at home more, now that it was summer, his visits had become less frequent, not wanting to bother Peter. He still tried to get closer to him, but it was hard. The kid didn’t even let him be in his trainings, for God’s shake!

When he arrived to their home he was surprised to find his son wasn’t alone. There was a tall and beautiful girl in their sofa, her brown curls into one messy bun at the top of her head. She was laying on her belly, her face almost covered by the heavy notebook she was writing on. Her free hand was lazily going through Peter’s hair, who was on the floor, back against couch and head resting there, moving lightly every time the girl ran her hand through Peter’s curls. His son was reading a huge book about… Physics, he could see. Of course in summer his son would read about Physics. He got that from Tony. 

The girl noticed him first, raising her head from her notebook and giving him a side smile.

“Captain Stark-Rogers. I was wondering when I was going to meet you” she said, and in that simple sentence Steve could see why Peter liked her. She seemed sure of herself, confident, snarky and smart. Her eyes held wisdom, but also some teenage innocence. Peter looked up and looked at him, too, but he wasn’t as friendly as MJ. 

“Nice to meet you, too. I’m guessing you’re Michelle, Peter’s friend from school”

“Indeed I am. Should I be scared you know this much about me?”

“You don’t have to. Tony told me about you, I’m not a creep”

“Good”

“Did you want something?” Peter asked, cutting them off. Michelle rolled her eyes at him, but turned back to her notebook, sometimes looking at Steve. 

“I wanted to see how you were today. You and your Dad”

“We’re fine, Dad’s working downstairs”

“Oh, okay. Um… how are you doing?”

“I’m fine”

“I haven’t seen you in the gym, lately. Is everything okay?”

“I like to go there alone. It’s calmer”

“And how about the trainings? Haven’t seen you around”

“I also like to train alone. By the way, Michelle is here. What if she didn’t know anything?”

“Ha, looser” Michelle said, not looking up from her notebook “, as if”

“I said ‘if’, MJ”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think” Steve said.

“Yeah, you didn’t”

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. Once again, he thought about cutting it, knowing it was way too long already.

“Peter, I just want to talk”

“And I don’t. So let’s not, alright?”

“Son, I’ve been here for the last two months, and…”

“And you’ve been away for the last two years” Peter practically yelled, snapping shut his book “, so what if I don’t want to talk with you, now? You didn’t want to talk with me for two years!”

“I wanted to talk to you, Peter, but things were complicated, alright?”

“Right, sure. Whatever”

“Look, I get it’s been hard for you. But this behaviour… it has to stop, alright? Because this isn’t you, Pete. This is not the Peter I remember, this is not who you are”

“It’s been two years, Captain. Excuse me if I changed”

“Peter, I get that, but…”

“Leave it. I don’t want to hear it, alright? I don’t want to hear you, right now”

He stood up and left. Steve stayed like that for a good couple of minutes, too dumbstruck to even move. Suddenly, Michelle was right in front of him, turning her notebook for him to see it. To his surprise, it was a drawn of him. He was sad and lost in that draw, and it was so true to reality that it kind of hurt.

“I like to draw people in crisis” she simply said “, and you look like you’re in a huge one. Get a hold in yourself, Captain” 

She closed her notebook and left, searching for Peter (who had took the elevator). Steve was tempted to go after them, but he felt an hand on his upper arm and turned around to look at his husband.

“How long…?”

“Enough. Come on, honey, come with me” he said, taking Steve’s hand in his. It was the first time they had walked around like that since coming back, so Steve didn’t complain and let Tony do. He brought him to their bedroom, and Steve got nervous. He hadn’t been in there in such a long time, and memories started flooding his mind. Tony took him to their master bathroom and made him seat in the toilet.

“What are you doing?” Steve asked weakly.

“I told you I was going to help you cut your hair and shave, didn’t I? That way Peter can’t see you leaving him when he looks at you”

Steve gulped, but nodded, just observing his husband. Tony grabbed a pair of scissors and a towel, and wrapped it around Steve’s shoulders. He grabbed a brush and started combing his husband’s hair. Steve let him do, falling into a comfortable silence. It wasn’t the first time they had done that. Steve had always liked cutting his boys's hair, said it was something they did in the 40’s. His mom had always cut his hair, he did a few times with her, and when she died he cut Bucky’s, and Bucky cut his. When he told Tony, a few months into their relationship and already living together he had expected him to laugh and mock him, but the brunet only smiled and told him he needed a haircut. Steve had fallen more in love with Tony, that day. Tony got used to cut Steve’s hair, too, and when Peter was born it was usually Steve the one to take care of his hair, sometimes Tony intervening, too. 

Tony started to cut his hair, gently, and Steve decided to relax. It was easy to fall into that sensation of easiness, of being home. His husband was cutting his hair, his fingers slowly massaging his scalp and sometimes his upper neck. He had to fight against a few moans, knowing it was not the time. 

“Feels good” he whispered. Tony laughed, cutting his sides shorter, sending Steve back to his usual look.

“Looks good” he finally said, brushing Steve’s shoulders. He put a mirror in front of him “. Do you like it?”

Steve looked at himself, and smiled. His hair was back to what it was before, and he felt more like himself than he had done in a long time.

“I really do, sweetheart. Can you help me with my beard? I think it’s time to let it go”

“Sure” he said, going for a razor and some shaving cream. This time, it was even better… or worse. Tony was shaving him gently, with soft movements. His eyes locked with Steve’s every few minutes, and the blond could feel the tension growing by the minute. It wasn’t bad, Steve liked it, but… he also knew it was not the place nor the moment. He finished with his face and put aftershave, cleaning him and leaving him fresh faced. He put the mirror in front of him again, and Steve discovered he finally looked like himself again. He smiled and turned his head to look at himself better.

“You look as gorgeous as ever” Tony said, putting the mirror away.

“Thanks to you, darling” Steve said, smiling again. Tony smiled and got closer, gently running his fingers through his shaved cheek and jaw.

“I did a good job” he said, looking into Steve’s eyes.

“Yeah, you did” he whispered, struggling. Tony didn’t take his eyes off him, and Steve looked back at him just as intense. He didn’t know who leaned in first, but soon enough, they were sharing their first kiss in two years.

It was even better than they remembered. There was so much love and need in the kiss, and maybe it was a bit sloppy, and had too much teeth, but they were too happy to not smile. Steve put his right hand on Tony’s nape, bringing him closer and deepening the kiss, his tongue finally exploring Tony’s mouth again. His husband decided to use his too, both battling for dominance. Tony sat on Steve’s lap, his arms going around his neck, and moaned when Steve broke the kiss to draw his lips to his jaw, leaving sweet and desperate kisses there, drawing them all the way back to his neck and collarbone. Tony needed Steve’s lips again though, so he cupped his husband’s face and brought their lips back together, both kissing hungrily. Dang, they forgot how good it was. Steve stood up and Tony wrapped his legs around his waist, the blond’s hands going to his ass to keep him from falling. Without stopping their kissing, Steve walked out of their bathroom and into their bedroom, falling to the bed. Tony went to pull his shirt off, and Steve was fast in doing the same, hands and lips exploring Tony’s torso. His husband groaned under him, running his hand trough his back and bringing him back to him. Steve’s hands travelled to Tony’s pants, but then things went wrong. Tony backed off and left Steve kissing air for a brief second.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, breathless.

“I can’t… you can’t…” Tony mumbled, getting out of bed and running a hand trough his hair. 

“Tony?”

“We can’t do this” Tony said, breaking Steve’s heart “. I told you, not if Peter’s not okay with this. And he’s not”. 

“But, love…”

“Peter is not okay with you, so he’s not going to be okay with us, Steve” Tony sighed, sitting in the edge of the bed. Steve went behind him, hugging him to his body, back against chest. He hid his face on Tony’s shoulder, kissing it gently.

“I love you. So much”

“I love you too, my love. So much it hurts. And it… it has been fun, kissing. But we can’t go further, honey, we… we’re going to upset Peter if we do. You have to understand”

“I do” Steve whispered “, but it’s breaking my heart”

“I know. Trust me, I know”

“So what do we do, now?”

“I can’t be around you right now, honey. I’m just thinking how bad I want to kiss you and finish what we started, but we can’t do that. I need some time alone, and I think you do, too”

“So… I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I think I’ll need more time than that, Steve. We’ll… we’ll see, alright?”

Steve sighed, but nodded. He grabbed his shirt and put it on, and then kneeled in front of Tony, cupping his face.

“I love you” he said, sincerely”, and I’ll always do”

“I’ll always love you, too” Tony said, and Steve couldn’t help but kiss him again. It was short an chaste, but sweet and full of love. They hated how much it all felt of a goodbye. 

Steve got up and then left the room, and only when he was alone in his bedroom, cried. Just when things were getting better… he looses everything. Again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it! Don't kill me, please. I promise everything will work out... well, maybe. If you have any doubts, just tell me, please. And don't forget to comment! I want to know if I'm doing a great job, so constructive criticism it's always welcome! Plus, y'all are so cute, so I love reading your comments! Makes my day!!
> 
> Anyway, if you have any idea you'd like to see in here, you only have to tell me! I'd love to do it!
> 
> I'll try to post the next part soon, but it depends on how my next finals goes, and if I have time to post here in the meantime.
> 
> Bye! Don't forget to comment, so grateful for that and the kudos!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems like Steve can't get the forgiveness of his only son, but... what if someone helps him?
> 
> (last chapter!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dude I'm sad af... don't know if anyone here is a fan, but David Dobrik and Liza Koshy broke up? They still love each other but now is not the right time? TF?  
> Anyways, sorry, back to the chapter:
> 
> It's the last one! Hope you all enjoyed this mini-story as much as I did. I want to know what you thought about it, but first, let's read the chapter. Enjoy!
> 
> -Few reminders I forgot so say in previous chapters: here, Steve does not fight Peter in Berlin. I'll do a one shot with that situation in the near future, but he didn't do it, for now /Steve didn't know it was Bucky the murderer of the Starks, he only knew it was HYDRA..

“Steve’s grumpy” Clint said the next day, looking over where the Captain was. Steve was in the couch, staring blankly at the walls with a serious expression.

“Yeah, what’s with the old man?” Natasha asked, jumping off the counter “He seemed fine, yesterday morning”

“We had lunch together, and he was okay” Bucky said.

“I think he was going to see Peter” Sam quirked into the conversation “, so maybe it went wrong”

“Easiest solution is to ask him” Natasha resolved, jumping off of the counter and going over to Steve, sitting in front of him “. Hi, Steve. Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Steve asked, snapping off his day dream “ Er… yeah?”

“Don’t lie to us, punk”

Steve sighed, playing with his hands, and then something in Natasha’s mind clicked.

“Oh God, you cut your hair and shaved”

“Um… yeah? We had breakfast together, how are you noticing it now?”

“I’m more used to this, idiot. Something was weird with you today, but I just noticed, when you didn’t run a hand through your hair”

“Well, then yeah, I did”

“Okay, then something happened” Sam said “. C’mon, man, we’re just trying to help. What’s wrong?”

“Everything? I don’t know where to start”

“Start from the last time we saw you” Clint recommended. Steve sighed again, nodding.

“I went to see Peter. He was with a friend from school, and to be honest, she was nicer to me than he was. He’s still mad, and I don’t know what to do. We ended up arguing and he left”

“I’m sorry” Bucky said “, I know things are not getting better with your kid”.

“That’s not… the worst part”

“Then what is it?” Natasha asked, trying to be sensitive.

“Tony saw everything. I don’t know how, because he was in his workshop when I went to the Penthouse. Maybe FRIDAY alerted him when I got there, I don’t really know nor care. When Peter left I was… well, not okay, so Tony took me to our bathroom and asked me if I wanted to cut my hair and shaved. He thought this way things with Peter are going to be easier. He says that, if Peter sees me like a 'lumberjack' he’ll think about the time I was away”

“It makes sense” Natasha agreed with Tony “. Seeing you like this will probably remind him about easier times”

“Well, yeah, I thought so, too, so I agreed. Tony then went on and cut my hair and helped me shave and-“

“Please don’t tell me it’s going to end in a sexual way” Clint begged “, I’m still traumatised about that time I walked on you”

“Seriously?” Natasha asked “ That was when they were dating for, like, two months”.

“So? I saw them almost naked, it marked be for the rest of my life”

“Guys” Sam stopped them “, stop. Steve, sorry, you were saying…?”

“Er… well, things actually got heated. Sorry, Clint. Tony was just looking at me, and I don’t know who leaned in first, but we ended up kissing. It didn’t got further than that, though”

“Just a kiss, then?” Bucky asked.

“No, it was more like making out. I mean, I know we both wanted more, but Tony stopped abruptly and told me we can’t… we can’t be together. Not yet, and we don’t know if we will ever could”

His friends stayed silent, even Clint. Bucky rested a hand on Steve’s knee, trying to show him how sorry he was for everything. The blond flashed him a smile, telling him it was not his fault.

“It’s because of Peter, right?” Sam asked. 

“Yes. It’s been… what, almost two months? And Peter still won’t talk to me. He hates my very presence. He hasn’t called me Pops, just choosing to not say my name, or even saying Captain if he has to call me. Tony and I agreed we can’t be together yet, but it felt like a goodbye. It felt like I’ve lost my husband and son.”

“Steve, you can’t be loosing hope” Bucky said “, you didn’t loose it with me”

“You were not yourself, but Peter knows what he’s doing. And I don’t know what to do, because I don’t want to divorce, and I don’t want Peter to hate me forever”

The friends remained silent again, the gravity of the situation heavy in the air. Suddenly they heard a cough and they all turned to the elevator, where Michelle was standing.

“Michelle” Steve said, getting up “, hi. Did you want to see Peter? He’s not in this floor”

“No, um… I came to talk to you. Looser doesn’t know I’m here. Can we talk? It’s important… to you”

Steve frowned and exchanged looks with the heroes, but at the end nodded and gestured Michelle towards the kitchen. The kid understood him and went there, and Steve followed shortly after, his friends gone to train in the gym. 

“So, Michelle…” Steve said, smiling gently at her “, what can I do for you? Do you want something to drink?”

“Water is fine, and… well, I’ve come to help you. Help you, Tony and Peter”.

Steve cocked his head, not knowing what she meant. He poured her a cup of water and gestured her to take a seat, taking one himself.

“I fear I don’t know what you’re saying”

“You don’t? Your family is in pieces, Mr. Stark-Rogers”

“It’s Steve, Michelle”.

“Alright, Steve. Well, I’ve come to help your family, because Peter might think he can act like he doesn’t care about any of this, but I know him enough to know he hates this. And don’t ever let him know this, but I care about the looser, and I hate seeing him like that”

“Okay” Steve said, smiling. At this point, he was willing to accept whatever help he could get “. Then… how can you help me? Us?”

“I’ll help by bringing you some important information”. 

“What is it?”

“The key to make Peter listen to you. Listen, Steve, Peter is waiting for you to act, okay?”

“I… don’t get it”

“Look, when you came back, Peter thought he was going to keep living his life, you know? Not caring that you were back. He wanted space, kind of”

“Yeah, I knew that. That’s why I gave it to him”

“Well, it was a mistake, from both parts. Peter thought he wanted that, but then he saw you, and he saw how you gave him space and realised he didn’t want that at all. He wanted you to snap and act as his father, you know. He tried to get your attention, but then you decided that he wanted more space, and you kind of fell into a vicious cycle that it’s just messy…”

“So, Peter wants me to snap?” Steve asked, confused.

“Yes, kind of. I think he wants you to act as his father, he wants you to be the same Steve you were two years ago, not some lost and kicked puppy”.

“So… all I have to do is talk to him?”

“Well, not ‘all', but it’s a first huge step. He wants to have his father back, Steve, I’m sure of that, okay?”

“Okay… thank you, Michelle. I was pretty hopeless up until this point”

“It’s okay, Steve. I hope you do something about this whole situation soon. I’m tired of seeing Peter as a lost and kicked puppy, too. Now, I have to go. I was meeting him to go to the movies with Ned, but he should be coming home around five”.

“Thank you, Michelle. Do you know your way to the door?”

“I know it, but thanks. Bye, Steve”

“Bye”

 

Steve waited patiently until it was five p.m, and then a few minutes after that for Peter to get comfortable. 

“FRIDAY, is Peter in the Penthouse?”

“Affirmative, Sir. He’s in the living room, watching TV”

“Okay, then” he said, getting on the elevator”. Hey, can you not inform Tony about me going to the Penthouse?”

“Sure, Sir. May I ask why?”

“I don’t want him worrying about it. I know he’s been having a hard time, with Peter and me. So I don’t want to tell him anything just yet”

“I won’t say anything, Sir”

“Thank you, FRIDAY”

He got to the Penthouse and got out of the elevator, going to stand at the end of the couch. He coughed, gaining Peter’s attention, surprising him.

“Er… hi. What are you doing here?” He asked, turning off the TV.

“I came here to talk”

“I told you already” he said, getting defensive “, I don’t…”

“I don’t care about that, Peter” Steve cut him off “. Of course, I want you to be comfortable, I want you to be okay with my presence here. But I’m done with this attitude, alright? You’re the son, I’m the father. If I said we have to talk, then we’ll talk”

Peter bit his lip, looking away.

“Dad knows about this?”

“Your Dad knows I wanted to talk to you. He wants us to talk. This whole situation is killing him as much as it is killing me”.

“Is it? Because you seem fine to me”

“I seem fine?” Steve asked, surprised “Peter, I’m going trough a living hell, okay? I’m not ‘fine’, not when I know the loves of my life are a few floors from me, but don’t want to get near me. At least, not you. I’ve been horrible without you, Peter. You can’t even imagine”

“I can’t?” Peter asked, getting off the couch and going over to Steve. He was much shorter than the super soldier, but his attitude filled almost all of the heigh difference “. You don’t get to say that! You left Dad and me, for fuck’s shake! I was the one who was missing you, I was the one who saw how broken Dad looked! You were away for two years, not giving a fuck about us”

“Don’t ever say that, kiddo. I thought about you every single fucking day, you understand? There was not even an hour I didn’t think about how you would be doing, what you would be feeling. I’ve been feeling like trash for the last two years because yes, as much as I know I did the right thing protecting Bucky, I know I shouldn’t’ve left you behind. I would go back in time to change it, if I could” Peter remained silent, watching his father with wide eyes. Steve sighed and got closer to his son”. But I can’t, Peter. I can’t change what happened, okay? What I can do is try to prove you I love you, so much. I didn’t leave because I stopped loving you, or your Dad, and I didn’t leave because I prioritised Bucky before you two. Listen, you know the story of your Uncle Bruce, right? After he became the Other Guy”

Peter nodded.

“He was chased. People wanted to do bad things to him”.

“Exactly. People were going to do bad things to Bucky. So many people already did, and he was accused of so many things when he was just the victim… Peter, Bucky was the one who took care of me, back in the forties. He was right by my side when I was sick, and he was the one who was there for me when my mom died. I saw I could save him, and I had to, Pete. I saw him fall to his death, I had to save him, now. Do you understand that, right?

Peter sighed, nodding. 

“Yes, I do. I’d do the same for you, Dad, or our family. But you left us…”

“I did, and I regret that, okay? I was desperate, and things got messy too quickly. I’m not saying it was okay, and I wanted to come back since the moment I left. But I couldn’t”

“I missed you” Peter confessed “, but you weren’t here, for me”

“I know, and it kills me. It’ll pain me for the rest of my life. But, Peter” he rested his hands in Peter’s shoulders, pressing their foreheads together “, I’m your father. I’ve been your father since the moment we knew of your existence, alright? I’ve loved you ever since. And I’ll always be your Pops, and I’ll always, always love you. You’re my son, and… there’s nothing that is going to change that. I’m sorry if I made you think I didn’t want to be your father anymore, I’m sorry if I’ve been distant since I came back. I was trying to give you space because I thought you needed it, but I’ve been dying to talk to you. I want us to be a family, again. Your Dad, you and me”

“You mean it?” Peter asked, weakly. 

“Of course I mean it, son. Of course I do”. 

Peter sighed, hugging Steve tightly. Steve almost sobbed in relief, and hugged his son back.

“I still need a little bit of time” Peter said “, I need to… I need to see you’re being honest, I need to see you mean everything you said”

“Of course. Of course, Peter”.

“But things… I think things are going to get better” Peter smiled, breaking the hug “Maybe you can come tomorrow to have breakfast, with us, if you… if you like”

“Of course I’d like that, Bambi” Steve smiled, kissing his son’s forehead. Peter smiled in return and hugged him again. Steve left not long after that, both of them needing a little bit of time, but both of them happier than they were before.

 

Things were starting to be okay. Tony was over the moon when Steve went to have breakfast with them, the next day. His smile had been huge and it lighted up Steve’s whole day. Specially when it grew wider once Peter came in and smiled to Steve, nodding his head towards him. They had had a nice breakfast, and it felt like home. Peter was still a little bit tense, but it was the closest they had ever beenas a family since Steve’s return. 

Steve took Peter’s words, and tried to show him he was there to stay, that he was his father no matter what. He spent more and more time with Peter in the Penthouse, usually Tony with them. They had more dinners together, and he helped Peter train, sometimes (and, hell, his son was one heck of a superhero). Peter had even began to talk to Bucky and the rest of the team, and his best friend quickly grew fond of his kid, calling him his nephew. The first time Peter heard it he just smiled, so Bucky took that as his acceptance of him as his Uncle. 

However, Peter still refused to call him Pops. Sam guessed it was Peter’s last barrier, that name. Once he’d said it again, Steve was officially back in his life. 

Things with Tony were pretty much the same. They both loved each other, and they had more hope, now that Peter was willing to forgive Steve, but they were still waiting for their kid to be okay with the blond’s presence. Sometimes it got too frustrating, but they both knew it was for the best. And, as Tony jokingly told him one day… the sex after that was going to be incredible. The kind of sex you need to have in a hotel, he added. Steve didn’t want to traumatise Peter, and he definitely didn’t want Clint to complain even more, so he agreed with an honest laugh. 

He also got used to keep Tony’s company in the lab, choosing to sketch him, like he always did before the whole Civil War mess. Tony didn’t mind his company, and Rhodey told Steve one day he had been looking happier than a few months back. Sam, who was in the room, said it was the same for Steve. Both of them were right.

He had decided to go to the lab and sketch his husband, again. Tony was playing with an engine when Steve got there.

“Hi, honey” he smiled. Steve smiled, too, and went to peck his cheek. Yes, they still had to receive Peter’s blessing, but a kiss on the cheek wouldn’t harm anyone. 

“Hi, dear. Were you busy?”

“Not so much. Pepper wanted a new prototype by the end of this week, but it’s almost finished”. 

“Great. What is Peter up to today? He told me he was getting breakfast with Ned”

Tony smiled when Steve said how Peter had told him something about his day. It was something minimum, but holy, it felt good to have that kind of normality again. 

“Yes, they had to do some nerdy shit. I think he was coming home around mid-morning, though”

“Oh, okay. Maybe we could have a nice lunch together”

“Sounds good” Tony smiled. They stayed in silence for a while then, Tony working and Steve sketching. It was a peaceful morning, one they didn’t expect to have again, not like that. However, the Universe hated them, and an explosion rocked the Tower. They both got to their feet, trying to see where the danger was coming from. 

“FRIDAY, what is happening?” Tony yelled.

“It has been detected an explosion in the tenth floor, Sirs. It seems like the Tower is under attack. I recommend you stay in the lab, is the safest place. The explosions seem to be under control”

“Stay here?” Tony asked, surprised “We gotta go out and see what’s wrong”

“Tony, FRIDAY knows more than you, she has to know what’s best for us”

“Stark-Rogers, what the fuck is happening?” They heard, and saw how the rest of the Avengers got into the lab, looking shaken up.

“There’s been an explosion, we don’t know what kind it was, but it’s not friendly” Steve informed, and just as he spoke, another explosion rocked the tower, this time further from them. Immediately after, the lab got locked down.

“Fri, what have you done?” Tony asked, raising his voice so he could be heard.

“It’s my protocol, Sir. This is now the safest place in the Tower”

“Well, fuck” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Fury possibly has it under control “Natasha told them “, if FRIDAY decides this is the best for us, then maybe we have to listen, as much as we hate it”

“You and diplomacy” Tony whispered. Steve went by his side, resting a hand on his arm to calm him down, when he suddenly tensed. The genius looked at him, worried “. Honey, everything okay?”

“Peter” he said “, you told me he was coming home around this time. Is he here?”

“Fuck, I don’t know” Tony sounded as desperate as Steve, and he went to grab his phone incredibly fast. He called Peter then, everyone in the lab in dead silence.

“Dad?!” They heard, clearly Peter’s scared voice.

“Pete! Son, there’s been an attack in the Tower, where are you?”

“My bedroom” he answered, and all of the heroes got scared and worried for him “. Dad, I think there’s people in the Tower. Maybe I can go and look”

“What? No, Peter, you stay safe”

“Are you crazy? I’m not going to let these idiots destroy our home”

“Peter, Fri says this is the best solution” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Is everyone else okay, where are they?”

“They’re with me, we’re all in the lab, in lockdown mode. Peter, try to come here, alright? You’ll be safe, here”

“Okay, how do I…? There’s people attacking the tower, Dad”

“Then put on your… crap, your suit is on here, you brought it yesterday for some updates. There’s not a chance you have the Iron Spider with you, right?”

“Sorry to say, no, I don’t”.

“ _Fuck”_ Tony breathed, and Steve couldn’t agree more with him. 

“Dad, I can try to get there without my suit. It’ll only take a little more time, but I can try”

“I don’t know if that’s smart, kiddo. Not without your suit”

“Aw, come on, two years ago you gave me this whole speech about not needing a suit to be a hero, don’t take that back”

“I did that because you were doing stupid heroic things without telling me, Peter. This is different”

“Tony” Steve interrupted them “, FRIDAY thinks this is the safest place in the Tower. If someone is attacking us, then that means they can get to Peter, too. I’ve seen him train, I know he can make it here. Let’s just trust him”

Tony stayed in silence one moment, and it was enough time for another explosion to be heard, this time closer to Peter than them. 

“Alright” the engineer then said “, alright, Peter, come down. But try to not be seen, okay? Be safe”

“Alright, I promise”.

He hang up. Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I always complain when he comes home later than he said, but this time… it would’ve been a blessing”

Steve smiled sympathetically and pulled him into a hug, Tony’s head resting against his shoulder. In any other moment the brunet would’ve refused, saying how they couldn’t be like that, not when Peter was not okay with it. Cheek kisses? That was okay. Cuddling like their life depended on it? Eh… not so much. But honestly, at this point who cared? They were all too worried about Peter, and the Superhusbands only got shy smiles (except from Bucky, the dipshit, who smiled wide towards Steve and blinked an eye. The blond was tempted to flip him off, but that would’ve meant breaking away from the hug, and no, thank you, he was okay).

They kept hearing explosions, each time further away. Tony only hoped their home wouldn’t get destroyed, not after everything that had happened. When Steve tensed he looked up, only to see their son on the door, a little bit bruised and with a cut on his cheek. He was fighting some dude in military clothes, and got him down in not even a couple of minutes.

“Damn, punk junior” Bucky said, smiling. Steve rolled his eyes at him, but couldn’t help himself and smiled, too. His son was pretty badass, if he wanted to. Peter got into the lab, locking the door behind him, and both his parents went running towards him, looking him over to try to see if he was injured or not. Peter, however, had another idea.

“The attack” he said, sounding worried “, I think it has another aim. The explosions we’ve heard serve as some type of distraction from the real danger. I think we’ve been fooled”

“I told FRIDAY we got to get out of here, I knew it” Tony said “. Okay, let’s…”

“Careful!” Peter yelled, knowing something was about to happen. His spider senses were tingling like crazy, which meant imminent danger. He tried to throw himself in front of his parents’s bodies, to protect them, but Steve was faster than him, and turned into a human shield. He hugged Tony and Peter to his body and, when the explosion in the lab exploded, he was the one who got the damage. 

Peter felt hot, and then dizzy. One moment he was yelling, and another he saw white and was suddenly on the floor, with something really heavy on top of him. It was motionless, so Peter thought it was some kind of desk, or whatever, but then he remembered what had been his shield.

“Pops?” He asked, scared of the word. He shook Steve’s shoulder, but the blond wasn’t responding “Pops, get of me, you’re heavy. Pops…” he used his super strength to lift Steve, and then laid him on the floor, getting up. As he had guessed, his back had some injuries, so it’d have been a bad idea, turning him around. Around Peter, the rest of his family was slowly waking up, none of them too injured. Damn it, why Steve had to play the hero? Peter kneeled and shook him again, this time more desperate.

“Pops, fuck, _please_ say something”

“Peter?” He heard, but it was his Dad’s voice. He looked confused, laying beside his Father. He got some minor cuts, but other than that seemed fine. His eyes burned with unasked questions.

“He doesn’t wake up” Peter told him, crying “, he’s not waking up, he’s not… Papa, please “he begged Steve “, c’mon, Papa, don’t do this to me! Wake up! _Wake up!_ ” He cried, desperate. Tony was quick to go to his son, wrapping him in a hug despise his own pain, but Peter didn’t want any of that “. We have to help, him, Dad! C’mon, we have to… we have to do something!”

“We’ll do it, but calm down, Bambi” Tony told him, kissing his head. Peter shook him away, hands going to rest gently on Steve’s head.

“Pops, please… I’m so sorry for being an idiot, please wake up, please…”

Tony wanted to tell his son everything was okay. The logic part of his brain wanted to tell him it was normal to be unconscious after that kind of a hit, but he was too worried to do that. It was _Steve_ , he usually got up ten seconds after a hit, no matter how bad it was. He didn’t want to scare Peter but, in all honestly, he was fucking terrified. Screw the Tower, he only cared for his husband… whom, in that moment, groaned.

“Steve!” He yelled, happy. The blond tried to get up, and he went to help him.

“I’m getting old” he whispered, and Tony just laughed, happy to hear his voice again. Before Steve could process everything, Peter had thrown himself into his arms, almost tackling him down again.

“Pops!” He yelled, definitely surprising Steve, who got teary eyed at the name… _finally_ “. You’re an heroic idiot, don’t do that ever again, okay? Don’t scare me like that, ever again. Promise me”. 

“I promise” he whispered, kissing Peter’s head “. I promise, baby boy, I promise. Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? Pops, you’re the one who took the hit. Are _you_ okay?” He said, looking him over.

“I’m fine, Pete. There’s just some cuts, I’m fine”

“Let us see if there’s crystals, at least” Peter begged “, I wouldn’t ever forgive myself if something bad happened to you”

“Baby, don’t ever think that, okay? I told you, I’m your father. And that means my job is to love and protect you”

“I don’t want you to get hurt…”

“I don’t care if it’s to protect you”

Peter almost sobbed, hugging him again, careful with the strength he put into it.

“I’m so sorry, Pops. For being an idiot, for being this cold to you”

“Peter, don’t be. I screwed up, and you needed time. And it’s okay, honey. It’s okay. What matters is that you were able to forgive me… that is, if you did”

“Of course I did, you sacrificing idiot” he muttered, and Steve only snorted, resting his cheek on the top of Peter’s head “. I know you want to be there for us. I believe you, now”.

“Thank you”

“You don’t have to thank me, Pops. But please, get that back checked up”

“Alright” Steve laughed, breaking the hug. His teammates were looking at them with smiles and bright eyes, exhausted and still worried, but happy for them. They forgot they were supposed to be after the cause of the explosion, as submerged they were in the beautiful reunion. When Steve looked at Tony his breath got caught in his throat. His husband looked gorgeous, even when he had some bruises and cuts. He was smiling widely, and his eyes sparkled more than ever, looking at them both. He seemed happier than Steve had seen him since he came back. Peter put his hand on his arm and Steve looked at him, breaking eye contact with his husband and looking at their son worriedly. As much as Peter was finally in good terms with him, was he okay with Tony and him back together…? His son smiled, and nodded towards Tony.

“Kiss him already”

Steve didn’t need to be told twice, and quickly moved to Tony, cupping his face and closing his eyes before kissing him. Tony returned the kiss just as sweetly, and they completely ignored the wolf whistles, too happy to care about that.

“Why can’t I leave this family alone for five minutes?” They suddenly heard. The husbands broke their kiss, even when Steve kept an arm around Tony. Fury was standing by the door, looking utterly annoyed “. Seriously, I decide to leave you on your own and the Tower gets attacked?”

“Fuck, the Tower was being attacked” Scott said “. You want us to do something, director?”

Fury looked at him for a good, solid minute before turning to Natasha.

“Is he for real?”

“Nick, do you need us to do something?” Steve asked, trying to be professional.

“No, Steve, the problem has already been solved. Some dumb hydra’s wannabes thought they could cause serious damage. Other than the explosion here the rest were not too harmful. Some Agents could bring them down, and they’re in custody now. You can leave this place. Oh, and do me a favor and get checked up. It wouldn’t be nice if you walked around injured, alright?” He turned around and left, but everybody saw the small smile he tried to hide. 

Tony practically dragged Steve’s ass to the medical floor to get him to go to see a doctor. Luckily, Steve’s worst injury was the cuts in his back, and only a few still had glass sticking out. The medic took them all and healed Steve’s injuries, telling him how they should be healed in five hours, tops. Once Steve was confirmed okay, Peter (acting more like a parent than the two husbands combined) forced Tony to be overlooked by a medic, too. Tony had scoffed at him, but did as told. Finally, when he was for sure okay, Steve and Tony made their son get checked up, too (they would’ve done it sooner, but Peter had gotten both of their stubbornness). Peter was okay, the bruise in his face already healed and the cut in process of doing so. He was still a little bit shaken up, but other than that, he was fine. 

Once they were done, the teenager had hugged both of his parents, resting his head between them, and timidly asked to go home. Steve’s heart just _melt_ at his son’s question, and at the same time he wanted to cry of happiness, because Peter was asking him (kind of) to go back to the Penthouse. Tony, visibly touched by his question, too, was the one who decided it was a good moment to go to their house, and the three took the elevator. Their family was still getting checked up, but Steve knew they wouldn’t mind them leaving. 

Once they were in their floor they discovered it hadn’t suffered any damages (which was a total relief). They had all went to their bedrooms, changing into something clean (it was so surreal for Steve to go to his drawer and find everything as it was two years ago. Surreal, and amazing), and then they had snuggled up on their couch, Peter between Steve and Tony, with his head in his Pops chest and his feet under his Dad’s tights. 

There was a ton of things they had to say, to talk. They all knew that. But, they were too happy to do that, in that moment. They were together, _finally_ they were together, and that was all that mattered, to them. No words could express how good they were feeling in that moment. 

So, Tony decided to do something he missed doing as a family, and put some movie on the TV. He didn’t even remembered what movie it was. Didn’t care, even. Not even twenty minutes into it, Natasha appeared on their floor and took a seat in one of the couches, not even saying a word. After her it was Clint who decided to join, and slowly all of the team had found a place comfortable enough to see the movie. Bucky had been the last one, a little bit reticent still, but then Tony had smiled Kindly at him, and he was positive they were going to be alright. He threw a smile at his best friend, who was almost falling asleep with his son snuggled up against him and then sat beside the archer.

Halfway through it, Peter let himself fall asleep in his father’s arms, feeling peaceful and utterly happy, after two years. And if all of his family had fallen asleep before the movie had finished, well… nobody could blame them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg it's done!
> 
> Hope you all loved it! Please let me know what you thought, because it makes my day, and keeps me going! Don't be afraid to comment!
> 
> Next comes another mini-story, and I really really love this one. I want you guys to read it already sooooo bad, but give it a few days, because I'm still with finals and this weekend I have a family reunion, so I'll be incredibly busy. 
> 
> Don't be afraid to suggest an idea for a one shot/mini-story! After this next mini-story will come at least three suggested one shots. So don't be afraid to comment or suggest! Okay, bye!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! So, a new story today!
> 
> Actually, there's something important about this story:
> 
> It's going to be multi-chapter, but I actually don't know if I should publish them all here or make another story, like, out of here, and actually make it a little bit longer. It's up to you guys! So, tell me at the end of this chapter, and also at the end of the second chapter! Then I'll decide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not so much to say, except that this is one of my favourite stories... and, REALLY IMPORTANT, read the note I just wrote just above this one. I need to know to know how I continue this story!!

“Hey, Steve”.

“Mmh?”

Tony sighed, nervous, and observed his new husband in silence for a couple of minutes. The blond was lying on his back peacefully, eyes closed and chest moving with steady breaths. His eyelids brushed his cheeks gently, his pink lips showing a tiny smile. A sheet covered his naked body from the waist down, and his legs were tangled with Tony’s. The engineer, as nude as the Captain, was snuggled up by his side, arm lazily drawing circles on Steve’s chest.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, honey, was is it?”

“I just… well, you told me a while ago you didn’t want to settle down. Marry, kids, all that jazz”

“Yeah” Steve said, confused and opening his eyes “, but that was before we even got together, Tony. We’re married now, you, as you can see, I’ve changed my mind”

“That was were I was getting to, babe. Seeing we’re happily married now, I thought… well, do you want kids? It’s something I’ve been wondering for a while, now”

“Oh…”

“I mean, I never thought about it too much. Then again, I never thought about getting married either, not until I met you and fell in love with you. And I don’t even know if I could be a good parent, you know? It’s not like I had a good example and…”

Tony was cut by Steve’s lips in a short and sweet kiss.

“Honey, you’re rambling. Honestly? I haven’t been thinking about that. We just married, I’ve only been thinking about you”

“But… do you want to?”

Steve seemed to think about it, smiling after a few moments.

“I would love to have children with you, Tony. I would love to be with you raising a tiny person, even when I know it has to be hard, specially for us, superheroes. But, of course I’d love to have a kid with you. Do you want them, like… now?”

“It doesn’t have to be now, babe. I just… that question had been stuck on my mind for a while, now, and I wanted to tell you about it”

“Okay. Now… do _you_ want to?”

“It does sounds good. I don’t know if I could be a great parent, but having you by my side to help me sounds really good”

“Then now we know kids are a good possibility for us” Steve smiled, kissing Tony’s head. The engineer smiled and nodded, and kissed his husband sweetly on the lips before resting his head on his chest. He closed his eyes and drifted to a peaceful sleep. 

 

Tony’s words had broken a dam. Steve was telling his husband the truth: he had barely thought about kids, before. 

When he was still scrawny and weak he thought he was never going to become a father: he was too weak, too small, too ill. Doctors didn’t even know how long he had, and even when Steve was stubborn as a mule, he did know kids were a big no for him. Then he had become Captain America. It was in that moment he became hopeful about finding someone and settling down. He dreamed of having kids, then, after the War. It was a possibility he dreamed about almost every night, to sleep through nights free of violence and fear. Then he had gone into the water, and that dream had dissolved into it. When he woke up he was sure: he was _not_ going to become someone’s dad, let alone husband.

But then he had met Tony. He engineer had been extravagant, sometimes cocky, and had some problems with showing emotions. Steve and him had a rough start, but slowly their relationship had evolved. Steve told him about his dreams changing, Tony said how he never thought about becoming a family man because of his dad, and the life he had been living. 

Then they became a couple and before they even knew it they were moving in together, coming out to the world and celebrating anniversaries. Tony had asked Steve to marry him and the blond had yelled ‘yes!’ before he could even process it, both crying of happiness. One year later, they had been happily married for a few months. 

The team had been happy for them. At first they had asked them to not show too much PDA (Clint was _really_ adamant about it), but they slowly got used to see them together holding hands, cuddling, kissing sweetly when they thought no one was watching. 

So, yes, Tony and Steve were the definition of a happy couple, basically. And they were happy together, just the both of them (and their friends, who didn’t get what privacy meant). However, Tony’s question changed something between them. Before, when they saw a baby they didn’t think twice about it. It was cute, yeah, and sometimes parents asked for a picture with their children. They also attended Galas and Events, and Steve had seen so enough mini Captain America and Iron Man to last a lifetime. Again, they didn’t think too much of it.

Now? Each time Steve saw a baby he got dumbstruck, like something inside him was begging him to pick it up and talk in that _stupid, stupid_ voice. Tony would’ve laugh, but he was acting just like Steve. 

Clint actually was the first to pick it up, when the husbands had cooed about a baby they saw in the news wearing an Avengers t-shirt.

“Oh God” he had groaned “, you want to have kids this soon? ‘Cause, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for yah, but I do _not_ want to change diapers. Nope”. 

Tony and Steve were confused by his words, receiving a soft “idiots” from Natasha, an amused look from Bruce and a confused face from Thor.

“What?” Tony had asked, even more confused than Thor.

“Kids, you two” Clint repeated “You are not thinking about having them? Sorry, I thought you did”

“We talked about kids, but didn’t decide when to have them” Steve explained.

“Well, now that Clint says it, you guys have been showing some suspicious behaviour. I’ve never seen your eyes shine at a kid dressed as Iron Man, Tony, but you practically melted the other day, when we found that little girl in the streets playing superheroes”

“She was cute, okay!” Tony tried to excuse himself, but only got laughs. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Guys, it’s okay if you want kids, now” Bruce said, calmly “. It would’ve been okay even a few months ago, too, because it doesn’t really matter if you’re married or not… what matters is if you’re ready”

“Which leads to a crucial question… are you ready?” Natasha asked, smiling knowingly. Steve and Tony looked at each other and had a silent conversation, sharing a smile before answering.

“I think we are” Tony said, Steve hugging him tighter. The rest of the Avengers smiled happy. Except Thor, who was still really, really confused.

“I don’t get it. My friends, are you expecting a child?”

“They’re not, Thor, but they want to have a kid” Natasha explained.

“That’s wonderful!” He exclaimed then, smiling widely “. The kid for sure will be a remarkable misgardian, having the Man of Iron and the Captain of America as its parents!”

“Wait, that’s a good question” Clint intervened “, how are you going to do this? Are you going to adopt?”

“I think…” Steve said, unsure “I’d like to have a kid of my own blood. I mean, I love the idea of adoption and what it means, but… it’s always been a tender topic for me, parenthood. There was so many moments in my life I though I was never going to settle down, you know? Now that I’m married and having a kid who’s… mine it’s a possibility, I think I’d like to try that”

“We get it, honey” Tony said, kissing his cheek. The rest of the Avengers nodded, understanding Steve’s words “. Personally, I think I’d like to try to have a biological kid, too”. 

“Then you can try that” Bruce suggested “. Now, what you have to think about is if you want it to have Steve’s serum”

“We can chose if the baby has it or not?” Steve asked, surprised.

“I mean, I think it’s possible for you, yes. We could at least look at it, run some test with you two”.

“Then, if it’s a possibility, I don’t want to. It’s been good for me, but I want the baby to be a normal kid”

“I agree” Tony nodded”, our lives are crazy enough. If we want to add a kid into the mix is better if he, or she, is as normal as possible”

“Then we’ll work on it” Bruce told them, smiling “and who knows, maybe we’ll have another member in our family, soon”

“It sounds nice” Steve said, smiling at Tony. Tony returned the smile and they shared a sweet kiss.

“It does”. 

 

It had been _hectic._ After finding out they could have a kid without Steve’s serum, they got to work with Bruce, studying their DNA and being careful to not mess anything up. Neither of them wanted to experiment too much, because it was a human being after all, but it was necessary to at least see if the baby was going to have Steve’s serum or health problems. Tony and Steve absolutely didn’t want any of those things, so they agreed to test that and play with the DNA of their kid just a little bit, just for its health. 

Before they even knew it (like everything that happened in their relationship), they were expecting a kid. After the news broke, all of their free time was filled with baby-book reading, buying things for it, preparing the nursery, picking out names. Both had agreed to wait to know the gender, wanting it to be a surprise. The whole team tried to find out on their own, but it was pointless. Clint and Thor were betting for the baby to be a girl. Bruce, Rhodey (whom, _of course_ , was into the pregnancy as much as everyone else) and Natasha, the logic minds of the bunch, said and said it was a baby boy. They also gave their own opinions about names and no, _Clint,_ ‘Hawk’ it was not a good name, and _no, Thor,_ we can’t name the baby after your mother, we’re so sorry about that. Steve also vetoed Natasha’s ideas of buying mini knifes as the baby’s first toys and both of the husbands were incredibly grateful for Bruce and Rhodey’s calmness. 

They were ready to become parents, and waited impatiently for the baby to be born. It was crazy: having kids wasn’t even on their minds one year prior, but it was practically all they thought about since Tony had dared to open his mouth. 

They had their bets, but they were more private. Both of them kind of wanted a boy, because, as much as they loved the idea of having a daughter, both had the wish to raise a son. Maybe it was because both of them had lacked a father growing up- they didn’t know, and didn’t want to think about it. Plus, stereotypes aside, they had no clue in how to raise a girl. Sure, they were lost in how to raise a boy as well, just not as much. 

The superhusbands had also agree the first name was not going to be after someone they knew. They wanted their kid to have a life of its own, they didn’t want people telling the kid: oh, yeah, the person you were named after did this, or that… they didn’t want their kid to feel like it had to live to the expectation. However, they agreed they could use the middle name to honor someone. If it was a girl they were thinking Sarah, or Maria. If it was a boy… well, it was an easy choice.

They also felt ready. They had read every book they could find, saw videos, talked to people. They were ready, they knew it. It was stressful as hell, but they wanted that.

Steve thought about Bucky so much, while he was waiting for his kid to be born. His best friend would’ve been so proud of him and what he had achieved… Bucky’d have been the funny Uncle, the one to bribe them and help them to go behind their parents back while telling Tony and Steve only part of the story. Steve missed him more than anything, and he wished he was there, with him and Tony, in that big and crazy family. But he knew Bucky was there with him, in spirit, and each time he got too emotional he pictured the brunet smiling and shaking his head, telling him how big of a punk he was. 

Tony thought of his mother. He would’ve loved for her to meet her grandchild. She would have sang lullabies in Italian or Spanish to the baby, and taught them etiquette and piano. He thought of the Jarvis, and how they would treat his kid with love and consideration, and he thought of his father, of his constipated emotions and his coldness. For the thousandth time, he decided he was never going to be Howard Stark. 

The months went by incredibly fast and before they could even process it, the team and Rhodey were in the waiting room of one of New York’s privates hospitals, the Stark-Rogers baby about to be born any minute.

“All I’m saying” Clint said in the sixth hour “, Thor and I are going to win some money today”

“As if” Natasha snorted “, the baby it’s a boy, you big idiot”

“I have to agree with Nat” Bruce said “, they’re so going to have a son”

“I’m sure the kid of our dear friends is going to be a remarkable misgardian, regardless of its gender” Thor boomed, smiling happily. Clint groaned, punching his arm (not like the God felt anything).

“Dude, _not helping_ ”

Thor just smiled wider and patted Clint’s head like he was some dog. The archer scoffed, but the smile didn’t disappear from his lips. They had to wait another two hours, but finally they were called in a room. There was a crib there, but no baby was placed in it. Instead, it was Tony who held a tiny bundle of blankets with a equally tiny baby in there. He was standing in the middle of the room, Steve behind him with both arms around him, both of them looking at the baby adoringly.

“Hi” Natasha said, in the softest tone they had ever heard from her “, can we come in?”

The superhusbands looked up and smiled at them, nodding.

“Hey, who is this little babe?” Clint asked, getting closer to the baby. Tony and Steve shared a proud smile and the blond opened his mouth.

“We proudly present to you our son…” 

“Peter James Stark-Rogers” Tony finished, and Steve smiled and kissed the side of his head. Both chose to ignore the soft ‘damn it’ Clint breathed, and the smiles of the winning members of the bet. Rhodey cleared his throat, clearly touched by the name of the kid.

“James?” He asked, weakly. Tony smiled at him, nodding.

“It’s the perfect middle name for the kid. James because of you, because you were there for me since I was fourteen and because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you and your patience and love towards me”

“… and because of my own best friend” Steve said, his own smile a little more nostalgic.

“I thought his name was Bucky” Thor said, having heard stories about the pair.

“That was his nickname. His full name was James Buchanan Barnes. I chose to call him Bucky early into our friendship, but his true name was James. He was always there for me, and I think this is a nice way of remember him”

“Of course it is” Natasha smiled “, James couldn’t be a more fitting name. Just one question, why Peter? Don’t get me wrong, I actually like the name, but I want to know why you chose it”

“We just love it” Tony explained “. We agreed to give our kid a new name, to give him the possibility of living his own story, without having to live up to legacy. That’s why James is his middle name”

“We wanted something to remember the people who has gotten us here, wanted to see that in our son”

“Without robbing him of his own identity” Bruce smiled”. Well, Peter… welcome to the family. It’s crazy sometimes, and it can get to your nerves… but it’s the best one there is”

“Damn right, little one” Clint smiled, brushing his finger gently against Peter’s soft cheek. “Y’know, he’s so cute”

“He’s indeed a beautiful baby, this son of yours” Thor smiled “. Could I hold him?”

“Sure” the husbands said. They feared for a second Thor’s strength, but the Asgardian held Peter with a gentleness no one saw coming. 

Peter was indeed beautiful, with some dark hair curling in his tiny head, soft and round cheeks and a little button nose and pink lips. He was the cutest thing they had ever saw. He slowly was held by all of the team, and by the time he had made it back to Steve’s arms, they were all exhausted. The doctors had told the husbands they could leave next day by morning, so the team left for the Tower, to check everything was okay, and Steve and Tony put their son to sleep and tried to get some themselves. They just had a son. And he was perfect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hope you guys liked it!
> 
> I copy what I wrote above: 
> 
>  
> 
> The story it's going to be multi-chapter, but I actually don't know if I should publish them all here or make another story, like, out of here, and actually make it a little bit longer. It's up to you guys! So, tell me at the end of this chapter, and also at the end of the second chapter! Then I'll decide. I know this can be taken as a one shot, but it's a larger story, I promise. You can start to vote now, but don't forget to tell me at the end of the second chapter, because it's when the real story really starts! Can't say what happens tho, because I want it to kind of be a surprise.
> 
> Anyway, don't forget to comment (you guys are the absolute best and bright up my whole days) and leave requests if you want to! After this story it'll be a bunch of requested one shots! (again, don't forget to vote!)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So, you guys convinced me to upload the last short-story as a individual work... I just posted it, so check it out! It's basically the same thing I posted here, but it has two extra-scenes at the end.
> 
> The next one shot should be up in the next couple of days! Hope you enjoy. Oh, and because I made you guys wait, here's a little preview:

“Boys” Steve went to them, smiling lovingly at his two loves “, dinner is ready. Peter, did you finish your homework?”

“Yeah Pops, don’t worry. Dad just checked my latests works”

“Our baby boy is a genius, babe” Tony smiled, and Steve laughed and ran his fingers through Peter’s hair. The teenager and his Dad stood up and went over to the kitchen. They set the table and sat, a delicious meal in front of them.

“Just us tonight?” Peter asked, bringing a spoonful of rice to his mouth. Steve nodded, sipping some water.

“Yeah, we could manage it” Peter hold back a snort, looking at his Pops with an amused look. He sighed and continued “. They were seeing some basketball game. Except Vision and Wanda, whom are on a date”

“Sounds fun” Peter mumbled. 

 

 

 

 

 

 (really short, but I promise I'll upload the one shot in the next couple of days!)

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter was pretty sure he was super responsible. He had been acing his tests at school AND he was keeping his secret identity from his Dad and Pops just fine. 
> 
> So, what happens when something goes wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hi! This one shot was one someone requested me to do! So, really hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Not too much to know, just the usual: Peter is their biological son, Stony doesn't know about their son being a superhero and overprotective Bucky. Hurt!Peter because you guys asked.

Peter smiled and saved his work, closing his laptop and putting his book back on his backpack. He also closed his notebook full of problems, but left it on the table, thinking on asking his Dad about a few things. He wanted to know if he was correct, because his Physics teacher wanted to give him some extra (and harder) job. Peter, being the idiot he was, had accepted. His parents were proud of him because of it, so that was good. 

He stretched his arms, sighing happy when his back cracked. He grabbed his notebook and headed over to the living room of the Penthouse, where his father was. 

Tony looked up from the Stark Pad, smiling at his son, and patted the space next to him on the couch.

“Hey there, buddy. Did you finish all of your homework?”

“Hey, Dad. I did, and I was actually wondering if you could look these problems over” he said, plopping next to him. Tony smiled and ruffled his hair, taking the notebook from Peter. He looked over his job, smiling approvingly when he finished.

“This is perfect, as always, Bambi. Seriously, you should think about going straight to college. You could perfectly do it”

“Dad, I told you I want to have a normal experience as a teenager. I want to do college as fast as I can to come back to work with you, so I at least want to have one normal experience”

Tony sighed, but nodded.

“Of course, sweetheart, we do as you want”

Peter smiled, grateful. Of course, he couldn’t tell his father another reason he didn’t want to leave New York for too long was because of Spiderman.

“Boys” Steve went to them, smiling lovingly at his two loves “, dinner is ready. Peter, did you finish your homework?”

“Yeah Pops, don’t worry. Dad just checked my latests works”

“Our baby boy is a genius, babe” Tony smiled, and Steve laughed and ran his fingers through Peter’s hair. The teenager and his Dad stood up and went over to the kitchen. They set the table and sat, a delicious meal in front of them.

“Just us tonight?” Peter asked, bringing a spoonful of rice to his mouth. Steve nodded, sipping some water.

“Yeah, we could manage it” Peter hold back a snort, looking at his Pops with an amused look. He sighed and continued “. They were seeing some basketball game. Except Vision and Wanda, whom are on a date”

“Sounds fun” Peter mumbled. 

“So, now that homework is done, you’ll have the weekend to do whatever you want, right?”

“Sure”

“Maybe you could come down to the lab, Bambi. I’ve been working on some cool things”

“That sounds awesome!” Peter exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. He was always delighted to work on SI business. His Dad had been trusting him more and more with projects, and Peter was living for it. He obviously knew he was going to take over SI some day, if everything went right, so Tony was teaching him a few things already. It also made him feel better: even when he was the _son_ of Iron Man _and_ Captain America, there was so much people on the school who simply didn’t believed him when he said he already worked in SI. His Dad was Tony Stark: seriously, what were they doing questioning him?

“Sounds cool, guys, but we could do something all together on Sunday” Steve suggested “, go to the park or something”

“I’ve heard there’s some new art exposition in Manhattan, Pops, Michelle told me about it. We can go”

“That sounds good” Tony smiled “, we can do that on Sunday. Spend the entire day just the three of us”

His husband and son smiled and nodded, digging deeper into their dinner. After they were finished it was Peter’s turn to clean the dishes. He did it in a comfortable silence, hearing his parent’s conversation as a background. They were debating which movie they were going to see that evening, his Dad wanting something sci-fi and his Pops a comedy. Peter smiled at the peaceful atmosphere. With two superhero dads (with a family of superheroes, really), it was precious to have a night that peaceful. Peter had learned to love and treasure them. However, he knew he couldn’t forget his duties. That’s why, the moment he was done with the dishes, he left straight for his room. 

“Bambi, going to bed this soon?” Steve asked, worried “Are you feeling good?”

“Oh, yeah, Pops, don’t worry. I’m just tired, I had a stressful week at school. Plus, Ned, MJ and I were going to Skype” Steve nodded, smiling towards his son only son. Peter tried to ignore the bad feeling that sat on his stomach when his father believed his lie. He smiled in return and went to hug his parents briefly “. Have a good night, you two. But don’t go to bed too late, it’s not good for people your age”

“Ha-ha, Underoos. Ha-ha” Tony said, rolling his eyes. Peter smiled and then went to his room, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling.

“FRIDAY, code Itsy Bitsy” he ordered.

“Of course, Young Sir”

Peter smiled gratefully and then went to put his suit. The code “Itsy Bitsy” was designed for FRIDAY to shut up about his nightly activities. She was forbidden of telling Peter’s dads about his alter ego, or if he came home injured. The teenager had taken a couple of days to programme her like that, because his Dad -overprotecting, always worrying- had _thousandths_ of codes about him that were going to be override by “Itsy Bitsy”. But hey, Peter was smart. It took a bit, but he had programmed “Itsy Bitsy” without anyone noticing, something he was really proud of. He put on his suit and smiled at the feeling, opening his room’s window and latching himself to the ceiling. The downside part of his plan was how high he actually was, living in the Penthouse of one of New York’s highest buildings. But he had been Spiderman for months, now. He had developed a system. 

Soon enough he was swinging through Queens, shooting webs at the criminals and helping lost people. So far he had gotten a churro and a drink, that night, so it was pretty good. He checked his phone by two a.m, realising he had a message from Ned. 

_“Dude, were you doing patrol tonight?”_

Peter sighed, noticing it had been sent like three hours ago. He knew it was probable that Ned was asleep already, but he answered nonetheless. 

“Hey, man. Yeah, I was. Still am, in fact. Btw, I told my parents I was Skyping with you and MJ, and that’s why I couldn’t stay for movie night”

To his surprise, Ned’s answer came pretty fast.

_“Oh my God, Peter, did you say no to a movie night with freaking Iron Man AND Captain America?”_

_“Where the rest of the Avengers there as well?”_

Peter sighed again, rolling his eyes at his friends antics. 

“Dude, we talked about how weird is for you to talk about them like they some super stars I should be grateful to have around. They’re my parents, Ned. I see them every day.

“Well, almost” he added”, sometimes they’re on a mission”

_“Right. Sorry, dude”_

“Don’t sweat it. Oh, and the rest of the fam was downstairs”

_“Seriously man, how do you expect me to not freak out when you call the Avengers ‘fam’?”_

“What are you doing awake, anyway?” He asked, deciding to ignore Ned’s question.

_“I got a new video game, I’ve been playing it all night. But I should go to sleep”_

“Yeah, it’s a good idea. I’ll do another round and then I’ll head home, too. Talk to you tomorrow?”

_“Sure, Pete. Bye”_

“Bye, Ned”

He blocked his phone and pocketed it. He decided to do one more round. He was growing tired, and didn’t want to risk it too much with his parents. They didn’t know about his alter ego, and Peter wanted to keep it like that.

It was not like he didn’t trust his parents. Hell, he did. He trusted them, they were the most trustful people he had ever met. They were compassionate, and kind, and they knew how to make you feel better, always. And, yeah, maybe he received a special treatment, being their son and all, but it was no secret people trusted his Dads.

Still, just because of that, Peter had to shut up. Tony and Steve were already under so much pressure, and responsibilities: they didn’t need to know about their only son having superpowers. Besides, Peter was responsible enough to do the superheroing business on his own. He was smart, clever, and he had had the best examples around the block (the world, really). He didn’t need help, nor his parents worrying about him every second of the day. He loved them, and because of that he could not do that to them. And stop being Spiderman was not even an option. 

Yeah, he decided. One more round, then bed. Of course, it didn’t happen like that.

The Universe seemed to hate him, or maybe it was karma for lying to his parents for so long (or for saying Clint had eaten Bucky’s last cookie- he still could hear the archer terrifying screams in the vents). Some stupid villain caught him off guard just when he was heading back to the Tower, and, due to his exhaustion and sleepiness, he didn’t realise it until it was too late. 

The battle was pretty horrible, and he took some serious hits. He knew he had been stabbed (and he only cared about blood loss, knowing the wound was going to heal alone) twice, and he also took some pretty hard hits. His torso was in so much pain, and breathing was pretty much a nightmare.

“Dude, seriously, it’s a Friday night” he told the guy after he got up from another punch “, and I am _tired_. Can you please stop?” 

He knew he was being stupid by asking that, but he really was exhausted. His wounds hurt more than anything and he was dizzy because all of the blood loss. He knew he had to get home as soon as possible. However, Mr. Asshole decided he wasn’t done. With one last punch, he sent Peter to the roof of the next building, the teenager hitting his head head on the floor way too hard. The last thing he remembered before everything turning black was that he hadn’t made it home. 

 

 

Tony was peaceful. He was lying on the most comfortable bed ever made, warm and safe. He had had a nice night of sleep without any nightmares, and his husband had an protective hold on him, kisses being peppered on his face. The engineer laughed and Steve kissed his mouth.

“Good morning, babe” Tony whispered, tracing his husband’s face with his fingers, eyes still closed.

“Mmm… good morning, dear” Steve said, still kissing Tony’s face. The genius laughed against his lips and kissed him deeply, breaking away when the air was needed.

“Not like I’m complaining about this, but what is it about with your sudden show of love?”

“Can’t I show my amazing and gorgeous husband how much I love him?”

“Again: not complaining. Just asking why”

“Because”

Tony smiled and kissed him again. 

“Peter…” he whispered “, what if he comes in?”

“It’s Saturday, dear, he’ll be asleep at least two more hours”

Tony nodded then, finally giving in and rolling in the bed so he was on top. Steve smiled and went to his waistband, teasing him, and Tony kew it was going to be a good morning.

 

After their amazing wake up and its following shower, the husbands were in the kitchen, Steve making breakfast and Tony already on his Stark Pad, sipping from his precious coffee.

“I know Pete is still sleeping, but can I wake him up? We were going to work in the lab” he asked his husband. Steve looked at him and sighed, shaking his head.

“You saw him yesterday, babe. He looked so tired, so exhausted. I think it’s better if we let him sleep in”

“Fine. But, now that I think about it, you’re right. He’s been so tired, lately. Do you think we’re pressuring him too much? With all the AP classes and the extra job?”

“Honestly, hon? I don’t know. I mean, he says he’s okay, and that he likes the extra job. Before he took it he always complained how bored he was in class, and how easy everything was”

“We should talk about this, with him. Maybe he could do less things for SI, take more time to himself”

“I don’t think that will work out, Tones. He loves working with you. Let’s talk with him when he wakes up, alright?”

“Okay, sweetheart. We’ll do that”

They had breakfast together, Steve putting some of the leftovers on the oven, so they could remain good for his son. They were still sitting in the kitchen table when Bucky came, smiling at them both.

“Good morning. Where’s my nephew?”

“Sleeping, jerk, and he’s still going to do that for at least half an hour” Steve told him, calmly reading his newspaper. Bucky quirked an eyebrow, sitting next to Tony.

“Why? It’s almost eleven in the morning”

“He’s been pretty tired, lately” Tony answered “, so we thought it’d be a good idea to let him sleep in”

“Oh, okay. Well, now that you mention it, punk junior has been more tired, in the past few weeks. Maybe it’s all the extra job he’s doing at his high school”

“Thanks what we think, and we’ll talk to him about it. Why are you here, anyways?”

“Oh, I wanted to ask him if he wanted to train with me for a bit. He’s been spending more time in the gym… little Pete is getting fitter”

“He’s growing up so fast” the blond of the three complained “, just yesterday he couldn’t tie his shoes, and now…”

“You said no when I proposed to fabricate a de-aging machine, dear”

Steve rolled his eyes at his husband, and asked his best friend about the basketball game of the day before. They ended up going downstairs to the communal floor to hang out and have a lazy morning.

“Hey, maybe you can wake up Peter now” Bucky told the Superhusbands after a while “. It’s almost noon”

“Yeah, it’s a good idea” Tony agreed, looking at his husband “. You go or I go?”  
“Actually, I’ll go” James offered, getting up from the couch he was sitting on, the rest of the team scattered on the rest of the couches. Natasha stopped the movie they were seeing and looked at her friends.

“Is everything okay with Bambi?”

“Yeah, he was just tired. Being a Sophomore can be exhausting, it seems” Tony said, shrugging. Bucky scoffed at him and then took the elevator to the Penthouse, going directly to his nephew’s room.

“Hey, Punk Junior. Are you awake?” He asked. When he only received silence as an answer, he frowned and knocked on the door “Peter, are you okay?” Again, silence. Bucky’s frown only got deeper “. Hey, bud, I’m opening the door, alright?” He waited a couple of seconds, and then opened Peter’s door. When he did, he froze.

Empty. The room was goddamn empty from its habitant. Peter’s king bed was made and, when Bucky went to touch it, he realised it was cold. So, the brat had been awake for quite some time, and had time to make his bed. He looked around the room, but everything seemed pretty normal. Peter’s backpack at his desk, his laptop closed and resting on his bed and some comics on his night table. He went to the kitchen, checking the oven, where Steve told him he had put his son’s breakfast. The food was still there, so the possibility of Peter waking up, having breakfast of his own and then leaving was definitely a no. Plus, the ex-assassin knew his nephew. He was not going to leave without telling his parents, or leaving some sticky note, or…

“FRIDAY, did Peter leave a message this morning?”

“Negative, Sergeant” the AI answered, and Bucky was surprised when he noticed she almost sounded sad.

“Is he in the labs, maybe? Is he in the building?”

“Negative, Sergeant. Young Sir is not in the building”

Bucky cursed under his breath and took the elevator again, going to the communal floor. Peter’s parents looked at him worried when they realised Peter was nowhere to be seen.

“Barnes, where is my kid?”

“Not in his room, Tones, and not in this building” he said. Both of the men frowned then, exchanging glances. 

“Did he leave a note, or told FRIDAY to deliver a message?” Steve asked.

“No, punk, he didn’t. I already asked”.

“This is not like Peter” Clint said “. Leave without saying something. Tony sighed and ran a hand thought his face.

“I have a bad feeling about this, I don’t like it”

“C’mon” Sam intervened “, the kid is fifteen years old, he’s in the age of becoming more independent”

“Peter wouldn’t leave without saying something” Natasha told him”. He’s responsible, far more than we are, even if he’s fifteen”

“FRI, girl, when did Peter leave the building?”

“I’m afraid I can’t say, Sir”

_“What?_ FRIDAY, what kind of nonsense is that?”

“It’s in my protocols, Sir. I can’t tell you”

“For fucks shake, FRIDAY. Override the Protocol, code 601704529-3. Now, at what time did my son leave this goddamn building?”

“He left right after last night’s dinner, Sir”

The room felt silent. Peter, sneaking out? And then not coming home? It seemed impossible, it couldn’t be.

“Wait, that’s impossible” Steve said “We were watching a movie in the living room, we would’ve seen him leaving”

“That’s true” Tony said “, how the fuck did he sneak out?”

“Kid has three super spies as his Uncles and Aunt” Sam remarked, shrugging “, so I’d say he can learn how to sneak out”

“That’s not the important part” Bucky said, clearly distressed “, the important part is that he’s not home now, and it’s been more than twelve hours since he left!”

“He can be at Ned’s” Wanda suggested “, maybe building Legos”

“Why in hell would he sneak out for that?” Clint asked “Uh, maybe is about that girl. He liked someone, right? Maybe he went to see her”

“Clint, my friend, it’s Peter” Thor reminded him “, he’s far too shy to do that”

“Okay, what do we do, then?” Bruce asked, panicking “He’s out there, and he thinks it’s somehow okay to do this to us”

“Can someone tell him to breathe?” Loki asked, scared. 

“Brucie, let’s breath, alright?” Tony asked him, trying to calm him down, even though he was developing a panic attack. Steve sensed it and put a calming hand on his knee.

“We have to search for him, but let’s not make a big fuss about it. Sam, Tones, you guys will look for him from the air, see if you can spot him. Nat, Clint, Bucky and I will look on the ground”

“What about the rest of us, Captain?” Vision asked “We want to help”

“You stay here, maybe he comes back. And try to call his friends, maybe they know something”

The team nodded and they all got to work. For fifty minutes they looked without success, and then Wanda was calling them via coms.

“Yes, Wanda?” Tony answered.

“I talked to Ned. He definitely knew something, but didn’t want to say it. When I told him I was asking for Peter because he hadn’t come home last night he told me they spoke around two a.m, just before he went to bed. From what he knows, Peter can be in Queens”

“Queens?” Steve asked, immediately heading there with Bucky hot on his heels “.What is he doing in Queens?”

“No idea, Ned didn’t tell me. He did ask me to call him when we know something, or for Peter to do it. He said he was going to try to contact him, but so far I think he hasn’t got any luck”

“We’re heading to Queens, now, maybe we’re luckier there” Tony said. They all agreed and started their way to Queens, Natasha and Clint actually getting there first, being close already. Tony and Sam parted ways, and, not even two minutes into the search, Tony’s heart stopped and his breath caught up on his throat “. Please, no, please…”

“Tony?” He heard Steve over the com. But he couldn’t speak, couldn’t react. He didn’t even register going over to the roof where he saw a figure laying, his Dad instincts saying it was his son. The figure was petite, just like Peter, and FRIDAY’s vitals immediately recognised him. However… _what the actual fuck_.

“Peter?” He asked, trying to ignore his son dressed in a superhero costume, one he identified from the latest meetings with Fury. Spiderman. The new vigilante was powerful - _maybe too powerful to let him roam the streets without training or information of his background_ , Fury’s words-, and he had caused some commotion in social media, as well as in New York. However, he did not look that good in those moments. He had a pool of his own blood beneath him, but it was already dry. The suit was broken in a couple of places, and Tony went to put his mask off, full of fear and praying -maybe for the first time in his life- that that broken hero was not his only son. He knew it was selfish, but screw it. He would do everything in his power to heal the person under the mask, no matter who it was, but please, don’t let it be his Peter. He finally took the mask off, revealing it was indeed his little baby boy, and some tears actually slipped out of his eyes. He took off his suit, the nano-particles dissembling around him, and crawled his son close to his body, resting his head on his chest and forcing himself not to sob. He listened and… _thanks, God, there’s a heart beat_. He pressed his hand against Peter’s face, and his kid was terrifyingly cold. He was definitely unconscious. 

“TONY!” He suddenly became aware of the voices that were yelling over the coms, hearing the desperate tone of his husband “. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?”

“I found him” he finally said, voice small and teary “. I found him, I…”

“Don’t move” Steve ordered “, I’m close to where you are, FRIDAY sent me the coordinates”

Tony nodded, even though nobody could see him, and waited patiently, rocking Peter back and forth. He knew he was in shock, he knew his son needed medical attention immediately, but he couldn’t bear to do anything else than rocking his baby like he was still a toddler, getting asleep on his arms. He didn’t hear the other ones arriving, but suddenly Steve was in front of him, looking worriedly at them and brushing his hand over Peter’s face.

“Steve…” Tony whispered, not knowing what to say.

“Babe, what happened?” The super soldier asked, his voice breaking because of tears “. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, I just saw him here! He was already unconscious and he’s so cold, honey, so cold”

“The blood is already dry” Natasha pointed out, voice trembling “. So he had to fall unconscious here a while ago”

“We have to take him to Bruce” Bucky said, trying to snap Steve and Tony out of their shock “. Guys, Peter needs a medic, we need to go”

Tony nodded, assembling his suit again, closing it and taking Peter on his arms.

“I’ll bring him to the Tower, somebody call Bruce and tell him what happened. Please tell him he can’t turn into the Hulk now”

Everyone nodded, and Tony took off, Sam close behind. When he arrived to the Tower Bruce was already waiting for them, the rest of the team behind him, looking worried. 

“What happened?” His science bro asked.

“We don’t know” Sam answered, landing behind him, and knowing Tony could barely process the words, let alone talk “. We found him like this, over a pool of blood”

“Okay, come with me” he said, and went to a room. Tony put Peter on there and Bruce frowned, looking at his suit “. Tony, does this suit mean…”

“He’s Spiderman” Wanda answered for him, clapping a hand over her mouth “But how…”

“I don’t know” Tony whispered “I didn’t know”

“I noticed he had a different aura around him, actually” Loki said “, but I never thought of this…”

“Okay, that doesn’t matter right now. I have to get this suit off him, so I can see what’s wrong. How in hell do I…?”

“Doctor, if I may intervene” FRIDAY quirked in, startling them “, you have to press the spider on his chest. The suit will come off”

Bruce nodded and did as told. The suit expanded and they could get it off of Peter. Bruce frowned once the teenager was just in some boxers.

“What the hell?”

“What’s wrong?” Thor asked, worried.

“He doesn’t have any injuries, not visible. You said he had a pool of blood underneath him?”

“It was already dry” Tony said “, but yeah, it was… it was a _lot_ of blood, Bruce. The suit was broken in some points, around the abdomen”

Bruce frowned and started to check Peter’s abdomen. He did so for a couple of minutes, suddenly frowning.

“He… look, he has like a fading scar here, and here” he said “. It awfully looks like… like a stab wound. You know what, it reminds me of Steve’s stab wounds, if he takes too long on coming to the lab”

“Wait, what does that mean?” Tony asked, worried.

“I don’t know, Tones. Okay, I need you all to get out, I need to treat him, and there’s too many people in here. I promise I’ll come out as soon as I stabilise him and I know what happens to him”

Tony wanted to be there, with his son, but Thor put a steady hand on his shoulder and took him out of the room, making him sit on one of the chairs at the waiting room they had made there. Steve, and the rest of the team were fast to get there. Tony was on his feet immediately, engulfing his husband in a bone crushing hug. Steve clung to him like he was his only anchor to sanity, which, in that moment, it was kind of true.

“Tell me he’s okay” he pleaded, face hiding in Tony’s shoulder “, please”

“He’s alive, and he’s with Bruce, baby” Tony told him “. I don’t know anything else”

“What happened with him?” Natasha asked “He seemed to have lost a lot of blood”

“He didn’t have any wounds open” Sam revealed “, it seemed like… like he had stab wounds already closed and fading, but we don’t know for sure. He was still unconscious”

“All of this is my fault” Steve whispered, tears going down his face. Tony frowned and cleaned his husband’s face. 

“No, it’s not, honey. Don’t do that to yourself”

“But it is! I was the one who said to let him sleep. If I hand’t, then we would’ve realised he wasn’t home, we would’ve search for him way sooner and maybe he would be in better shape!”

“We don’t know that, honey. Stop doing that to yourself, alright? Peter is injured, but it is not our fault. Even if it is: we can change that, not now. We just have to think of him right now, and of his health. We have to trust Bruce will take good care of him and he will be alright”

Steve sighed, but nodded and hugged Tony closer to his body, kissing his shoulder. The team ended up sitting around the room to wait for news, Steve refusing to let his husband go, pulling him into his lap, Tony’s head resting on his shoulder and every once in a while kissing Steve’s neck. The blond rested his cheek against Tony’s hair, hands securing the genius’s body to his own, taking in the love he felt for that man and feeling more secure. Still worried as hell, but more secure.

He couldn’t help but be terrified for his son. He still remembered the day he was born, how tiny and fragile he seemed. He remembered looking into his Bambi eyes for the first time, how he felt like he could die for that kid, and only for that kid.

_It was the first day of June, just a couple of days after Tony’s birthday. Peter’s birth had come as a surprise- they weren’t expecting him that soon. He was a little over a week early but, as soon as he was born and checked out, the doctors had told them he was an incredibly healthy baby, specially being born early.Steve and Tony didn’t care about that- for them, Peter was the most beautiful thing they had ever saw in their lives._

_“Hey, wanna hold your baby?” Tony asked him, softly rocking little Peter. Steve doubted, scrapping his neck._

_“I don’t know, dear, he’s… he’s so tiny, and I’m too big”_

_“Bullshit. You’re the biggest softy I’ve ever saw. Here, hold your son. I know he was just born, but I’m telling you: he has your nose”_

_Steve laughed, looking at Peter._

_“Well, he’s going to have your beautiful dark hair, darling”_

_Tony laughed, and then got closer to him, passing Peter on to Steve. The Captain held his little boy then with all the care he could gather, gently. His baby only shifted a bit, curling closer to him. He was indeed tiny, and he seemed even more little in his arms, which were bigger than Tony’s. The blond smiled and rocked his son gently, kissing the top of his head. He felt so much love and happiness in his heart, he could burst._

_“Hi there, little Peter. Aren’t you the most beautiful thing I’ve ever saw?” He asked on that stupid voice Tony and him made fun tons of times. Peter chose to open his eyes in that moment, and Steve’s breath caught up in his throat. Yes, it wasn’t the first time he had his eyes opened. Curiously, he was born with his eyes already opened. He knew they were going to be like his husband’s eyes, a pretty chocolate colour, and he was over the moon with that. Tony always complained, saying how dull and boring brown eyes could be, but, for Steve, they were the prettiest colour on Earth. And Peter having the same eyes as Tony, the man he loved more than anything in this world, was a huge gift. He swallowed his tears down, smiling gently at his baby “. Look at you, you’re… you’re so beautiful, my love. So perfect. I love you so much, Peter, I… I never thought I could feel like this, this complete. But you’re here, and your Daddy is here with me, with us,and I’ve never felt so happy nor complete. I love you so much, my baby boy. I promise you that, for as long as my heart is beating, I’ll always protect you, even if it takes my life. You’ll always be my top priority, and you will always be our precious baby boy. I love you”_

_Tony smiled and went to clean his happy tears, kissing him softly. Peter, still on Steve’s arms, slept peacefully._

Only if he could keep up to his promise. Yeah, he wasn’t stupid: he knew he couldn’t protect his son from everything. But his baby being injured, badly injured, and alone in that rooftop… it made him sick to his stomach. He only thought about how he could’ve stopped it. If he had agreed to Tony’s suggestion of waking Peter up they would have discovered he was not in his room sooner. If something bad happened to Peter, it was going to be his goddamn fault. His husband was too nice to admit it, but it was his fault. Steve’s, and only Steve’s.

“Don’t do that” Tony whispered around the second hour they were waiting. Steve looked at him, confused.

“Do what?”

“Blame yourself”

“I’m not…”

“Hon, you’re making the face of blaming yourself. Listen, Peter was injured, but he has been for hours. It pains me to say it, but he probably was injured last night. Not this morning. Yeah, we can feel guilty because of this, and it’s okay. I do, too. But don’t think it’s your fault because you wanted to let him sleep more”

Steve sighed and rested his head on Tony’s shoulder, the genius’s fingers starting to run through his hair.

“Peter was having a double life” Bucky suddenly said “, we all saw what he was wearing. He’s Spiderman”

“But how, and when?” Natasha asked “And why did he shut up about it?”

Nobody knew the answer to that question. Yeah, in the last few months Peter had changed. He was a little bit taller, not so skinny and definitely not scrawny, anymore. He stopped using glasses and seemed more healthy, the breathing problems he sometimes had disappeared. In that moment, Tony and Steve thought it was puberty, or something like that. The rest of the Avengers thought the same, because when it happened, Peter was fourteen, almost fifteen. It was normal for a kid his age to go through that change. Only if they had investigated about it, to check how he could change so much that fast.

They waited for a little bit more, and then Bruce opened the door, stepping out of the room. Everyone was quick on their feet, the parents immediately going to stand before the doctor.

“How is he?” Tony asked. Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Unconscious, but fine. Because his wounds had already closed it was hard to know why he was like that, and why his vitals were decreasing. He needed some blood, let’s hope his body accepts it. Other than that, he had a concussion and some hits, but nothing too severe”

“What do you mean by ‘let’s hope his body accepts it’?” Clint asked. Bruce sighed and gestured them to follow him. He went inside the room again, where Peter was laying in a bed, this time under the sheets. He was connected to various machines to check his vitals and help him breathe. Tony and Steve’s hearts broke at the sight, but they all followed Bruce, who was standing next to a table, taping on some computer. He displayed some holograms.

“This” he said, bringing up a DNA sample “, was Peter’s DNA last time he got a check up, just before Last Christmas. Today I decided to run some tests, and this is his DNA right now” he pulled another one, but it looked different, almost like…

“It looks like mine”

“It really does, Steve”

“So what does this mean?” Tony asked “Peter inherited Steve’s… powers? Why is it showing just now? It was waiting for him to hit puberty?”

“It is not because of Steve. His DNA shows something that puts him in the Superhuman category, but also.. well, he shows some mutants characteristics. Somehow, and who knows when, Peter got powers that turned him into a superhuman with extra characteristics. We don’t know what type of mutation is, though. He seems human, and his suit doesn’t show any expansion or anything like that, like the Hulk. We can only guess it has to do with spiders, but he doesn’t change his form to use his powers. To get answers we just have to wait for him to wake up”

“What happens if the blood rejects his system? His super system, that is”

“Well, that’s always a possibility, Steve, and one dangerous. Let’s just hope it doesn’t happen, alright? I’m expecting him to be unconscious for a while, with the concussion he still had and all the things he had to go trough… but, if his body accepts the blood, then he’ll be fine”

“How did he bled so much but had no wounds?” Sam asked.

“I can only guess he has some type of super healing” Bruce shrugged “, but, again, we can’t be sure”

“Damn, you punk” Bucky muttered, looking in Peter’s direction. The teenager was peaceful, looking like he was just sleeping. The super soldier took a trembling breath and went to sit close to his bed, leaving the two chairs to his nephew’s parents. Wanda sighed.

“I’ll go call Ned, to tell him we found Peter. Something tells me he knew about Spiderman”

“Those damn kids and their need to shut up about things” Clint muttered, and then said he needed to get some anger on the gym. Natasha and Sam left with him. Loki went to Peter’s side, touching his forehead gently. Tony tensed for a moment, not knowing what he was doing.

“He’s not in distress” the God announced “, he’s in peace”

“Is he going to wake up soon?” Steve asked.

“I cannot tell that, Steve” Loki said, feeling sorry about it “. But Peter is a strong misgardian. We shall wait his recovery with no fear” 

“Seriously, audition for a Shakespeare role” Tony sat in one of the chairs available, Steve by his side. Loki rolled his eyes at him and then left the room, asking them to notify him when Peter was awake. Thor left behind him, promising the husbands he was going to try to discover what had happened to Peter, the night before. The rest of the team left, too, and soon it was Steve, Tony, and Bucky, watching over Peter.

The Superhusbands knew Bucky had to be there. Ever since Peter was little, he had felt a sense of protectiveness towards his nephew, always taking him under his wing and making sure he was okay. Steve knew Bucky couldn’t leave, being Peter this sick. His son was probably one of the only things that made Bucky feel more… human, more worthy. He was probably blaming himself, too. 

Was there anyone to blame, though? Peter had lied to them all, for months. It wasn’t like he was expecting them to notice and… no, wait, stop. He could not blame his fifteen year old son for being a superhero. It was obvious he had been doing a pretty good job, and if he didn’t tell them, Steve was sure he had his reasons. Reasonable reasons, he wanted to believe.

“He’s so going to be grounded when he wakes up” Tony whispered, Peter’s hand in his, the other one linked with Steve’s “. He’s not going to play any video games until he’s at least thirty, and when he leaves school he comes here, with no detour, I’ll make sure Happy is on that. I’ll post the most embarrassing pictures of him on every social media I know, I swear. He’s so fucking grounded”

“No, he’s not” Steve told him “, and you know he’s not, Tony. As much as it pains me, we can’t ground him for trying to protect and defend the people”

“He lied to us”

“You never asked him if he was Spiderman” Bucky said, behind them “, so he didn’t lie. He just shut up about it”

“Not helping my cause, Robocop”

“We’ll have to talk to him about all of this” Steve said, gesturing to the DNA that was still displaying “, but we can’t ground him for doing the same stuff we do”

“I hate when you make this much sense. You know that, right?”

Steve snorted, but nodded. They stayed by Peter’s side, someone from the team poking in every once in a while to ask how he was doing. Fortunately, Peter’s system seemed to accept the blood, and his vitals were getting better. It was almost eight p.m when he started to show signs of waking up. He shifted and his heart pace got faster. Steve, who was slowly falling asleep lost any trait of sleep he could have, and Tony tensed, looking at their son and grabbing his husband’s knee. Bucky also noticed it, his breath caught on his throat. Peter moaned then, eyelids fluttering open, and his parents and Uncle were quick on their feet. 

“Peter” Tony said “, hey, are you here with us?”

Peter looked at Tony, eyes unfocused.

“Dad?” He weakly asked. Tony sighed, relieved, and ran a hand through his curls, but Peter didn’t seem to really see him.

“Hey, kid. Can you see me?”

Peter tried to shook his head, but it was clear that movement alone pained him.

“Too bright” he whispered. Tony dimmed the lights with a monitor next to the bed.

“Better?” He asked. Peter nodded, sighing satisfied, eyes again closed. 

“What happened, where am I?”

“You’re in the Tower, in the infirmary” Steve told him, and Peter immediately tensed “. As for what happened… I think that’s something we should be asking you, son”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Bucky asked, trying to light up the mood, at least a little bit. Peter went to answer, but he suddenly remembered what he had been doing before falling unconscious, and froze, opening his eyes and looking at his parents in a mix of scared and embarrassed.

“I’m only guessing you know” he simply said. Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“What, that our fifteen year old child is running around in a fucking onesie? Yes, Peter, _we know that_ ”. 

Peter frowned, feeling anger rising up in his chest. 

“It is _not_ a onesie, and I’m not a _child_ , father!”

“You know, that’s the most teenager answer you’ve done up until this moment, and it is not helping your cause, kid”

Peter looked away to not glare at his father, and tried to even out his breathing. He could not freak out in those moments: he had to show Tony he was responsible, and mature. 

“I’m not a child” he said, once again, turning to look at his parents and Uncle with a seriousness usually unseen in him “, nor I think I should be treated as one. _Yes,_ okay? Yes, I’m a vigilante, I’m Spiderman. I’m not running around, I’m saving lives, I’m helping the little guy. I know exactly what I am doing, and the risks it has. All of my family are fucking superheroes: _I know_ what it takes, and what it means. This is not a dumb decision, or something I barely thought about before launching myself at it. I want to do this, I know I do, and this has been well thought and looked over. I am not a child wanting to be like his parents: I’m my own being, and I decide what I want. I don’t care if I’m fifteen, father. I have this powers now, and therefore, a responsibility I should be acknowledging”

Tony sighed softly.

“You just had to inherit my way with words”

“Peter, what happened?” Steve asked, trying to be nicer than his husband. He was mad, too, but understood the best way to approach the issue was talking calmly about it “. And I don’t mean last night, as much as I want to know that, too. What happened for you to become Spiderman?”

Peter looked at his lap, playing with his hands.

“I… well, remember that field trip at Oscorp?” He asked, not waiting for anyone to reply “I was bit by a radioactive spider then, and it gave me my powers. At first I didn’t know what was happening, but I slowly worked through it, and know I’m staring to be comfortable with… well, this”

“What is this, exactly?” Bucky asked.

“I’m like you. Like, I can do what you guys do. I also can stick to things and my senses are much more heightened than yours. And I kind of have a sixth sense. I sometimes call it ‘Spidey Sense’, but the name is on probation… well, not really. It’s pretty dope. The webs are not coming out off me, though. I make them, I have a formula I’ve been perfecting”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Tony asked, and Peter hated how hurt he sounded.

“It’s just… you guys already do much, and have so many problems. You guys didn’t need to have your son as some freak, I couldn’t give you that problem, not with everything you guys deal with already”

“Peter, you’re our son” Tony said “, you’re never a problem, understood? We became parents because we wanted to, because we wanted every headache, every issue, every problem that comes with raising a child. We were aware there weren’t going to be sunshine and rainbows, all the time”

“Son, we’re supposed to help you if anything like this happens” Steve told his son, running a hand through his messy curls “. What would’ve happened if we were away, on a mission? What happens if you get caught up in a critical situation? What happens if you need help but can’t contact us? We were lucky this time, Peter, all of us were. You, because we found you and your super healing took care of it before it was too late. And us, because we didn’t have to find the corpse of our kid”

“Steve” Bucky whispered, noticing how the last comment had gotten to his nephew, tears swelling up on his brown eyes. Steve pressed a kiss on his son’s head, wanting to calm him down.

“I don’t want to make you feel bad, Pete, because none of this is your fault, but you have to trust us”

“I trust you” Peter immediately said “I trust you, I swear. But I didn’t want you guys getting worried”

“Well, kiddo, too late for that” Tony scoffed “We’re going to worry over you, superhero or not”

“Look, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry you guys had to find out like this, I truly am. I should’ve told you sooner… I’m sorry”

Tony sighed again, cupping his son’s face and kissing his forehead.

“It’s okay, Peter, and I’m sorry for getting this mad, but…”

“You were worried. I get it, Dad, it’s fine”

“Let’s just say we’re all sorry, and that it’s okay, alright?” Steve asked, smiling gently at his boys. They both nodded, and Tony let Peter go, to let his husband get closer to them “. How are you feeling, sweetie?”

“I’m good” Peter smiled “A little dizzy, but good. What happened?”

“We found you a few hours ago” His Uncle answered “, unconscious and in a pool of dry blood. We brought you here and Bruce fixed you up. You needed a transfusion, and some rest. Kiddo, what happened yesterday?”

Peter sighed, opening his mouth to answer, when the doors opened and everybody else barged in, smiling shyly at Peter.

“FRIDAY alerted us he was awake” Bruce said, smiling “. Peter, how are you feeling?”

“I’m good, Uncle Bruce, just a little bit dizzy”

“Great. I want to check that, but I feel like everyone wants to know what happened”

“Do you know about me being Spiderman? Like, how it happened?”

“Yeah, we were sneaking up, a little bit” Clint admitted, getting slapped at the head by Natasha. Peter smiled a little at that. 

“Now, how did you get injured?” Sam asked, crossing his arms. Peter scrapped his nape, nervous.

“Well, I was on patrol. I usually do it every day, specially around Queens. It was a pretty normal night, and before I knew it it was already, like, two or three a.m, and I was _really_ tired. I guess I was distracted, which, I swear, doesn’t happen usually. Anyways, I didn’t sense some asshole…” Steve scoffed at him, and Peter sent an apologetic look towards him “. Sorry, some not-so-nice villain attacked me and got a few hits. I didn’t see a knife, so I got stabbed twice, and when he punched me I hit my head too hard, and I fell unconscious. Next thing I know, I’m here” he finished. His whole family had their mouths hanging open, some looking like they were in the verge of a heart attack.

“Is this fucking normal?” Bucky asked “You getting stabbed”

“I mean, I’ve been hurt before. It has never gotten this bad, I promise”.

“What now?” Natasha asked.

“Now I heal. I already feel fine, so I’m guessing I’m almost, if not already, healed. Now I go back into my normal life, you know? Continue things as they were”

“Expect they’re not, Peter”Tony said “, because now we know you’re a superhero”

Peter bit his lip, nervous.

“Are you going to try to stop me?”

‘Try’ Tony thought, choosing not to laugh at those words. Try, because his son was not going to let him take Spiderman away from him. The message was clear there: you can _try_ , you’re just never going to succeed. He sighed, petting his son’s knee.

“I wish I could stop you” he said “, because there’s nothing I hate more than you getting hurt, specially this badly. But, honestly? I don’t know what we were expecting. You’ve been raised by superheroes, we had to expect you to have this incredible need to help others. Peter, I know it may not seem like it right now, and I’m sorry if you thought otherwise, but I’m proud of you”

“Really?” His son asked, smiling. Tony nodded.

“Yeah, really. What you’re doing is amazing, and I’m so proud of you for choosing to do good with your powers. That being said, I think your Pops and I will agree that you can’t continue superheroing like this. You need to inform us, you need to be trained, just like everyone of us”

“Wait, does that mean I’m an Avenger?” He asked, excited. Steve was quick to intervene.

“No, it does not. You’re way too young to be an Avenger right now, Pete. But someday, when you’re older and more trained…”

“Like, at eighteen?”

“More like twenty”

Peter scoffed, but nodded.

“Okay, okay. Er…. Thank you, guys. For understanding”

“We’d be hypocrites if we didn’t” Bucky laughed, getting closer to him to ruffle his hair. 

“Thank you, again. But, when can I leave and go back to the Penthouse? Can I, like, now?”

“Let me check you over” Bruce said, smiling gently at his nephew “, and then you can go back to the Penthouse”

Peter smiled, nodding, and the rest of the Avengers left the room then, knowing Peter was going to be alright. Steve went to kiss his son’s head.

“I’ll go upstairs to start dinner. See you soon”

“See you son, Papa. And don’t even think, for one second, any of this was your fault “. At Steve’s surprised face, Peter just shrugged “. I know you, I know you were going to. This happened because I was reckless, but I promise I’ll never do something like this again. And I’m fine now, okay? I’m fine”

Steve sighed and nodded, kissing the teenager’s head again. He nodded towards Bruce and then pecked Tony’s lips, and left. Tony winked an eye towards his son, feeling the relief setting on his stomach. Peter was fine and, as weird as it may sound, it was just another day for the Avengers Family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hope you loved it!
> 
> You can always leave requests, although you may need to wait a bit. I'm almost finished with the next one shot, but I won't be uploading it for some days, as I'm also writing the story that I have (if you haven't checked it out yet, do it, please!)
> 
> Leave comments, please! They motivate me and light up my day! And see you soon!
> 
> Bye!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Thor and the Gang come back to Earth, how will the rest of the Avengers take it?
> 
> And how will they react when they see Loki?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! Sorry for taking so long, I had some crazy days haha. Well, this is a requested one-shot, so I hope you guys like it!
> 
> For those who follow my story, I'll upload a new part tomorrow

“It’s just one spoon, Peter”.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, honey, I read the recipe like, twenty times”

Peter rolled his eyes at his father affectionately, but did as Steve told him and only put one spoon of sugar in the cake they were trying to make. So far, it wasn’t looking too bad. They both were enjoying a nice evening, Tony in his lab, trying to work on something. And, as much as Peter loved working with his Dad, he also adored spending time with his Pops. And Steve’s idea for their time together was baking, which, considering their two fast metabolisms, was not a bad idea. 

They suddenly heard the elevator’s doors open and quick footsteps, and looked at each other worriedly. Tony stepped into the kitchen, clearly nervous.

“Dad?” Peter asked “Are you okay?”

Tony looked at them and then nodded, smiling. He went to Steve and kissed his lips, and then ruffled their son’s hair.

“I’m more than fine, Bambi. Guess what”

“You created a new suit?” Steve asked, his arms going around Tony’s waist. The brunet shook his head, not losing his smile.

“Even better, babe. I contacted Bruce!”

“Oh my God” they heard, and soon enough Clint was coming from one of the vents, landing graciously next to Peter “. You found Bruce?”

“More likely, he found me, bird brain”. 

“Dad, explain” Peter asked him, eager to know more about his Uncle. He, alongside his Uncle Thor, had been gone for over two years, now, and he missed them terribly. Bruce had went away because of an incident, with the purpose of finding his inner peace once and for all. Thor was away on a personal mission. Neither of them knew about his new super powers, nor he being Queen’s new vigilante. He still missed the God of Thunder, but at least they got news from Bruce.

“No, wait” Clint said “, let’s call the others”

They all agreed and called for the others to come to the Penthouse. They all got there pretty fast, Sam scooping one finger into the dough Peter and Steve had been preparing, ignoring the look of annoyance on the blond’s face.

“So, what’s going on?” He asked, sitting in one of the stools. 

“Well” Tony began to explain, once he made sure everyone was there, either standing or on some chair (or, in his son’s case, the counter) “, I contacted our dear fella, Bruce”

Immediately, the room felt silent, smiles slowly creeping on everyone’s faces. Tony looked at Natasha worriedly, but the spy seemed fine, a small but genuine smile on her pretty face. Tony took that as a good sign.

“Where has he been?” Vision asked. 

“Well, it’s quite the story, actually” Tony sighed. Steve’s hand found its place on his waist, once again, and he subconsciously leaned towards him “. Apparently, when he left, he accidentally took himself to another planet. Sakaar, he told me it was called. Anyway, he told me it was a planet designed to ‘stress him out’, so that didn’t work too well with The Other Guy. He spent the last two years as the Hulk, unable to be Bruce again”

“Fuck” Bucky muttered, gaining come sympathetic glances. He, more than anyone, knew what it was like to be trapped into somewhere dangerous and unknown. 

“Is Uncle Bruce okay, now?” Peter asked, worried. Tony smiled at his son, trying to console him.

“He is. He… well, it’s hard to explain, so I’ll do it as clear as I can. So, our favourite God of Thunder also ended up in Sakaar, I don’t really know how and-“

“Wait, Thor was also there?” Clint asked, surprised “How in fuck did he end up there? His mission?”

“Bruce told me Thor will tell us everything, so I don’t exactly know how that happened. He only told me the basics, because he was in a hurry. Apparently, Thor could break him free and make him go back to Banner, escaped Sakaar and then kind of destroyed Asgard to complete a prophecy…”

“Wait, Asgard is no more…?” Steve asked, shocked. Tony nodded, sighing.

“That’s what Bruce told me. Odin perished and there was a whole drama with a previously unknown sister of Thor, and then our favourite Point Break decided that Asgard was the people, not the place, so he blew out his newly reclaimed reign…”

“So, he’s the King, now” Natasha said, somehow impressed. Tony nodded.

“Seems like it”

“And now that Asgard is… well, not there anymore -the place, I mean-, where are they going to go?” Peter asked, curious.

“Well, they’re settling their destiny in Norway” Tony said, smiling “. Bruce told me they’re going to figure something out. For the moment, they’ll leave the Asgardians there, with Heimdall, and they’ll come to spend some time with us. Bruce will stay here, and Thor will spend time here, and in Norway”

“Shouldn’t he be always in Norway? You know, because he is the king” Peter reasoned.

“True” Clint said “. But that family has always been kind of carefree”

“True” Tony laughed “. I love the guy, but Heimdall is kind of like the responsible mom of Asgard”

“Tony, babe, don’t be disrespectful” Steve scolded him.

“I’m just staying facts, sweetheart”

“When are they coming?” Bucky asked.

“In the next couple of days. They said they’re bringing guests, but not who they are, exactly”

“Well, we don’t have to worry about that” Sam said “, if they’re coming with them, then it’s okay. They’ll be allies, I’m sure”

“Well, let’s hope so” Bucky whispered, then got up “. This was good news, and I’m happy they’re coming home. Now, I’m gonna train. Who wants to come?”

Sam, Natasha and Clint stood up, rising their hands, and accompanied Bucky to the gym. Vision and Wanda left, too, and soon enough there was only the Superfamily, in the kitchen. Tony smiled at his two boys and scooped some more dough, bringing it to his lips and tasting it. 

“Damn, this is good. What were you making?”

“A pie we got from a recipe we found online” Steve answered “. You like it?”

“Yeah, it’s good. Want me to help? Maybe we can have it for dinner”

“It’s a good idea, my dear” the blond smiled, kissing his lips sweetly. Peter coughed between them.

“Just a suggestion, but we can make Uncle Thor and Uncle Bruce some cake for their arrival, right? Like a welcome party”

“That sounds amazing, son” Steve smiled “, and I’m sure they’ll love it”

“Yeah, let’s make them a cake” Tony smiled, too “. Although… who knows who they’re coming home with”

“Well, I actually believe Sam’s words” Steve said “. They’re coming with Bruce _and_ Thor. They have to be trust worthy”

“Yeah, specially if Uncle Bruce approved” Peter reasoned, going back to read the recipe “. Maybe we can welcome them to our family, too”

“I swear to God, you’re the most pure and precious thing I ever saw” Tony told his son, ruffling his hair. The teenager buffed and looked at him, annoyed.

“Dad! The hair!”

 

A couple of days later, and with a fresh baked cake, the residents of the Tower were waiting for their favourite God of Thunder and their beloved stressed scientist. Peter was almost bouncing on his tip toes, to his parents amusement. Finally, the long lost members of their family and their guests arrived. There were Thor -with a surprising new hair cut and an eye missing… now, _that_ was a makeover- Bruce -who somehow looked different, yet the same- a pretty girl and… oh, God, they all thought, Loki.

Not all of them knew the God of Mischief personally. Only the original avengers had that pleasure, so Loki was known amongst them via stories, either shared by the Avengers or by Thor himself. After the ‘passing’ of his brother he was telling stories about him constantly, and no one had the heart to stop him. Peter specially loved those stories, as a kid and as a teenager, even if Thor had barely spent time with him as such. 

Loki had a nervous look on his face, just as his older brother. Bruce looked distressed, too, and the girl just looked indifferent. Natasha took a like of her almost immediately.

“Greetings, my dear friends, brothers and sisters… and nephew”

“Hi, Uncle Thor!” Peter exclaimed, barely containing himself. He really, _really_ wanted to go and hug him, because he gave _amazing_ hugs, only behind his parent’s hugs. 

“Hi, Peter”

“Point Break, nice to see you. Same goes for you, my dear Science Bro. However, er… what the _fuck_ is doing your brother here? I thought he was dead”

“We all did” Clint growled. 

“My friends, I know this must be confusing. But don’t fear my brother: he has redeemed himself, and he’s as noble as I could be, now. I’m asking for you to take him in, just as you would do with me”

“Thor, we have missed you” Natasha said “, but your brother attacked New York, he has done too many things…”

“My brother made some mistakes. But, I shall repeat, he has redeemed himself. As for his attack on this precious city, it has an explanation I would give you, if it’s necessary. But he means no harm”

“He stabbed you on our way here two times” The girl said, sounding a mix of bored and condescending. 

“It’s his way to show affection towards me, we talked about this, Valkyrie”

“Thor, we get your words, but…” Clint tried to say, but stopped when Peter stepped aside.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Clint, but I have to cut you off” he said, serious “. We all know Uncle Thor, we all know he has the judgment worth of a king. So, if he says his brother is worth of our forgiveness, we should listen to him”

“Peter, honey, it’s very noble what you’re trying to do, but…”

“Pops, no, it’s not noble. It’s just what it’s right”. 

“He has talked nicely about his brother, always, even when New York happened” Tony said.

“Still, he put him in Asgard’s prison, because he knew what he had done was bad” the teenager refuted “. So, if he did that back then, what tells you he’s wrong, now?” His family fell silent, not knowing what to say. Peter turned to his Bruce “. Uncle Bruce, do you trust Loki to be here? Do you think he has redeemed himself?” Bruce looked at him serious, and then nodded “. There you go, Uncle Bruce trusts him. C’mon, please, guys. We all deserve a second chance, let’s give it to him” he pleaded “. And if he proves he’s still evil, then he can go to Norway, with the other Asgardians. Please?”

Tony sighed, turning to his husband with an exasperated look on his face.

“You know what? Your son has got that from _you_. All that rightness, and his habit of accepting everyone and welcoming them with open arms”

“Really? Well, the way he talks? That’s all _yours_ , dear. So don’t blame it all on me”

“Tie, then?”

“Tie”

Tony sighed again, and looked at his son first, and then he looked at Thor and Bruce, finally stopping his gaze at Loki. 

“You have people claiming you’ve changed, Loki. We’re going to trust you because we trust them. But, you do any wick thing, and you’re out, alright? You have to prove what they just said”

Loki nodded, actually grateful for it. He had expected his brother to defend him, and it was a nice surprise to find out Bruce also had his back. However, he wasn’t expecting the son of Iron Man and Captain America to intercede for him. Thor had told him a lot about Peter along the years, and now he had started to see that, in fact, Peter Stark-Rogers was a really noble misgardian. 

“I shall prove what you asked, Iron Man. And thank you for letting me stay here, in your residence. My gratitude is with you”

“No problem” Tony said, shrugging “. And for fuck’s shake, it’s Tony. I don’t want anybody living under my roof calling me by my superhero name”.

“Very well”

“By the way, who is she?” Natasha asked, pointing at Valkyrie. 

“Oh, she’s an ally of ours, Valkyrie”

“No fucking way” Peter breathed out, receiving a disappointing look from his Father.

“Language, Peter”

“Yeah, sorry, Pops” he said, getting closer to Valkyrie, but keeping a respectful distance “. Valkyrie, as in a _Valkyrie_ …?”

“Oh Gods, there’s another one” Valkyrie whispered, Thor smiling timidly “. And you are?”

“Peter Stark-Rogers, ma’am, and it’s so nice to meet you”

Valkyrie looked at Thor.

“What’s ‘ma’am’?”

“Just a midgaridan way to talk to someone you have respect for. Like the way we would talk to our elders”

“Oh, okay. Kid, I don’t need you talking to me like that, I’m not… what you’re calling me”

“You’re fierce-less and powerful, and I do respect that. So, sorry, Miss Valkyrie, but I’d feel bad if I don’t show some respect”

“I’m telling you, he got that from you”

“Tony, hon, enough. Thor, Bruce, Loki and Valkyrie, we’re happy to welcome you into the Penthouse. How about you get comfortable, maybe get to know where your rooms are, and then you can come back to the common lounge? We have prepared a small welcome party”

Thor clapped his hands, happy, and Loki tried really hard not to roll his eyes at him.

“That’s something I would deeply enjoy, my friend! Let’s get started”

 

One thing that was absolutely true _and_ honest as Thor opinions: Loki _did not_ want to be there. Yeah, he was kind of grateful the Avengers were welcoming them into their home, and he did want to prove he had changed for the better- for his brother, anyway. Just… don’t tell Thor about it. So, yeah, he was glad he was accepted into the Tower (and, _boy,_ if that’s not something he never thought he’d say).

However, he didn’t want to be there. He was still the Outcast among all of those heroes. He knew they still held New York against him, and he understood that, but… he didn’t know if he was going to be comfortable, being there, with them. Valkyrie was going to fit there more than him, probably. So, yes, he wanted to leave, and as soon as possible. He had promised his brother to stay there and maybe socialise, but it didn't look like he was going to do too much of it. 

On the other side of the room, Peter was hugged really tight by his Uncle Bruce, who clung to him like Peter was the most precious thing to ever walk on Earth.

“Oh my God, Peter…” he said, almost laughing. Peter smiled and hugged him back.

“Hi, Uncle Bruce. I’ve missed you”

“I’ve missed you, too, honey. Oh, look at you…” he said, breaking the hug so he could look at him better “you’re grown into a young man, huh?” Peter blushed, smiling shyly.

“He did, indeed” Thor smiled, going over to them and hugging his nephew to his body, lifting him a few feet in the air. When he brought him down, he ruffled his hair affectionately “. Our dear nephew has grown into quite the handsome young man”

“He’s still cute, though”

“Oh yes, he is. Now, my worthy nephew… we’re so sorry we had to be away for this long. We’ve missed a few years of your life, and look at how much you’ve grown since then!”

“It’s okay, Uncle Thor. You had to, and what matters is that you’re home, right now”

“You’re the most precious kid ever” Bruce sighed, hugging him again. Peter smiled and hugged him back. His Uncle Bruce seemed more relaxed and carefree, and he was happy about that. He had always had a soft spot for Peter, so for the teenager it was normal to be hugged by him, but it didn’t go that way for the rest of the members of his family. Now, Bruce had hugged them all at least five times. Tony had already joked about it, to his husband’s disapproval. The engineer himself went next to them then, clapping his hand on his son’s shoulders.

“So, did you tell them the news?” He asked, smiling. His son smiled timidly at him, and his Uncles were supporting surprised expressions.

“What news?” Bruce asked “. Oh, are you guys having another kid?”

The face Tony made was a mix between horror and amusement, and Peter didn’t know how to take it.

“Oh dear God, no. Haven’t you looked at this one? He’s enough work”

“Hey!”

“And this way Steve and I are always winning. It’s two parents against one child”

“Then what are those news, my friend?”

  
“I think Peter should be the one telling you guys”

Both, the God and the Scientist looked at their nephew with questioning looks on their faces. Peter took a deep breath: he knew what his Dad pretended to do, and he was grateful for it. Tony understood Peter had to tell his Uncles about his secret, as hard as it could be, and had chosen to make it easy for him. Well, as easy as it could be.

“Well… Uncle Thor, Uncle Bruce, I… I am a superhero now, too” both of his Uncles opened their mouth, surprised, and Peter was fast in talking again, to try to explain himself better “. It’s not just because I want to, I… well, a radioactive spider bit me when I was fourteen, and now I’m Spiderman. I’m not an Avenger or anything, even though sometimes I help with the missions, I’m… more of a vigilante. I patrol around Queens, the major part of the time. And my parents are okay with this, before any of you ask”

“Well, as okay as we’d be with our son risking his life constantly” Tony sighed, dramatically. Peter rolled his eyes at him affectionately.

“Wow, this is… shocking” Bruce whispered “. But, Pete, are you okay?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I am. Pops has been training me, with Uncle Bucky, Uncle Clint and Aunt Natasha. Dad also helps, specially with my suit. And the rest of the team gives me advice, too. I’m okay”

“Well, Peter, this is surprising, indeed, but I am very proud of you” Thor smiled “. I told your parents when you were born that you were going to be a remarkable Midgardian, and my words became true! Welcome to the world of superheroes, my worthy nephew”

Peter smiled, grateful for Thor’s words.

“Yeah, Petey, I’m proud, too” Bruce told him, smiling “. Just a little shocked, but… proud, nonetheless. Things have changed quite a lot in the last two years, it seems…”

“You’re actually right, my dear Science brother. And now that you mention it, we have to talk about what has happened. Do you think you’re up for some story-time, Golden Locks?” 

“I think it’s about time I tell you what happened, my friend, so yes, I am”

“Very well” Tony nodded, clapping his son’s shoulders and guiding him to the couch. Thor and Bruce followed him, and soon enough the whole family was gathered, listening to the God of Thunder’s story. He took turns with Bruce, Valkyrie and Loki to explain everything, and the team listened in complete silence, only broken by some innocent question, to clarify some things. Not all of them were fluent in outer-Earth slang, or things. 

After the story they broke into smaller groups, once again. Peter was just getting something to drink when he spotted Loki by a corner of the room, looking lonely. The teenager frowned and when to him.

“Hi, Mr. Loki” he smiled, approaching the God. The black-haired man looked at him, confused.

“Are you talking to me?” He asked. Peter snickered, tilting his head.

“Well, you’re Loki, right? I got your name correctly”

“Er… yes, you did”

“Phew, I’m glad about it. Uncle Thor has talked a lot about you, so I would’ve been mad if I didn’t got it right”

“Child, you’re not obligated to be kind to me” Loki said, deciding to go straight to the point “. I thank you for putting your trust in me, and for convincing your parents to let me live in this Tower, but you have no obligation to interact with me”

“Well, I didn’t come here forced… I actually really wanted to meet you, Mr. Loki”

“Really?”

“Yes! I told you, Uncle Thor has told me dozen of stories about you”

“And you’re not afraid of me?”

“Why should I? Yeah, you made some mistakes, but we all do”

“I must differ, child. I don’t envision how you could make a mistake. You seem pretty harmless”

“Well, I became a superhero a while ago, and I’ve done some things I regret” Peter told him, with a seriousness enough to make Loki believe him. 

“My brother did not tell me about you becoming a… ‘superhero’”

“Oh, it’s because he just found out about it” the teenager smiled. Then he opened his mouth, surprised “. Oh my God, did you just said Uncle Thor told you about me”? Loki tried to not roll his eyes, which wasn’t difficult. The young misgardian was far too adorable.

“You just named him Uncle Thor. What makes you think he does not held an affectionate love for you? He has told me he met you when you were just born”

“Well, yeah, he did. And he loved to held me… still does, actually, he’s just too big and I am too small. He was my babysitter a lot of times, as a child, even when he had a hard time processing the whole diapers and feeding thing…”

“He did all of those things for you, yet you were surprised when I told you he speaks to me about you?” 

Peter shrugged, slightly blushing.

“A little bit. Hey, so Thor has told us stories about each other, huh? That’s cool”

“I do not truly get what that word means”

“Which one, ‘cool’? It means that something is really, really great. Like your magic! That’s _so_ cool. Which means really, really, really, really…”

“Yeah, I think I got a hold on that concept. So, er… do you think my magic is… ‘cool’?”

“Oh, yeah!” He exclaimed, smiling wide “I love my powers, but I would love to do what you do. It’s, like, the coolest thing ever. And Thor has told me so many stories with you using them… I just, I admire you so much. You’re such a cool God, and guy”

‘Stupid mortal’ Loki thought, when he felt the lump on his throat ‘I’m a God, I do not cry for these things’. He looked up at Peter then, and caught him with a hopeful expression on his young face. 

“Sorry, kid, did you say something to me?”

“Oh, yeah, I asked you what are your favourite tricks, and, er… if you could show them to me, someday. Maybe. Only if you want to. And you don’t _have_ to, you know? Only if you’re cool with that… you know what cool means now, right? Because…”

“Peter” Loki said, calling him by his name for the first time “. You may want to breath. I don’t have a problem in telling you my favourite tricks, nor I don’t have a problem showing them to you. But, will your parents agree with this? They ‘re not exactly fond of me, per say”

“My parents will be fine, don’t worry”

“Then I’ll show you, but another day. Right now, there’s too many people”

“Oh, cool, I get it. It’s like when you’re going to do a presentation in class, but you get really nervous because there’s too many people there, and then you forget your words…”

“I have not lived that type of situation, but I’ll trust your word and say that this is something like that, yes”.

“Could you at least tell me some stories? Like the ones Uncle Thor tells me, sometimes”

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t” Loki smiled, finally truly warming up to the teenager. He seemed like he meant no harm, and it looked like he really was interested in him and his adventures. That, added to what he already knew thanks to Thor- that he was a good kid, honest and truly caring, made Loki feel like he could trust him, at least with his stories. The kid didn’t look like he got scared easily, either, but that was normal, being raised in a house full of powerful people. They found a spot in of the sofas and Loki started to speak. Peter listened to him the whole time with a huge smile on his face.

On the other side of the room, Thor was watching them with a soft smile.

“What are you looking at?” Clint asked “…oh”

“What?” Tony asked, and looked too. He sighed, massaging his forehead. Steve frowned and looked too, and he didn’t know what to do.

“Well” Natasha told them, resting her hand on Tony’s forearm “. He interceded for him, after all”

“And he always loved the stories this big buy told us” Clint reasoned, too.

“Yeah, but is he safe?” Tony asked.

“My friend, don’t you worry. My brother and your son are perfectly fine”

“Yeah, he’s just telling him some stories” Steve sighed, and then raised his hands when everyone looked at him, shocked “. What?”

“You always said you don’t listen to other people’s conversations because it is too intruding. You just did, honey”

“I did, but because it’s our child, and I am protective of him. That’s why I’m telling you there’s nothing too weird going on”

“Alright. We’ll have to see how this all evolves…”

“I’m telling you, my brothers and sister: things will be okay”

 

It was still weird, between them all. Valkyrie was putting a distance between them all, and Loki was choosing to be away, too. The rest of the Avengers had chosen to not approach them, and Tony had given the Asgardians their own floor, so they were not that seen. Bruce and Thor spent time with the Avengers, but the God of Thunder was also with his brother quite a lot. Peter understood why they were keeping their distance, but he didn’t like it. Loki was so cool, and he had told Peter _awesome_ stories about him, and also Thor. He hadn’t talked to Valkyrie too much, but he thought she was pretty dope, too.

So, he wanted to solve the situation. That’s why he decided to go to their floor, one Saturday morning. But, when he arrived he discovered only Valkyrie was there. The girl was sharpening her weapons, sitting on the couch in some normal clothes. It was weird to look at her dressed like that, in some jeans and a sweatshirt.

“Hi. Is there something wrong?” She asked, getting up.

“Huh?”

“You’re staring”

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just… you’re dressed in normal, er… midgardian clothes. It’s so different than seeing you in your armour and stuff… I’m sorry if it’s too awkward, really, really sorry, ma’am…”

“Okay, child, cut it with the ‘ma’am’. It makes me feel weird. Did you come here looking for something?”

“Well, I wanted to spend time with all of you. You keep your distance from everyone else, so…” he said, balancing on his tip toes “. Where’s Mr. Loki, anyway? And Uncle Thor”

“Thor and Loki are visiting the Asgardians today. They should be back in a few hours, so you can go. Loki is not here, child”

“Oh, I wasn’t just searching for him. I wondered if I, er… could talk to you, too”

“To me?” 

“You seem pretty amazing, Miss Valkyrie”

“Just Valkyrie, kid”

“Oh, sure… _ohmyGod_ “he whispered to himself “this is too good to be real”

“Let’s sit down, shall we? You’re making me nervous”

“Sure, sorry, sorry…”

“Stop saying sorry so much. Why are you so nervous, child?”

“It’s just that… well, I respect and admire you, and I just… I didn’t think, even for one moment, that I could even meet one of… you”

“So, you admire me… kid, I’m not the one to be admired, sorry to say that”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated to explain, child, but I am not the warrior you think me to be”

“But… you are. I heard Uncle Thor’s story, the other day. You are”

“Kiddo…”

“I mean, we all make mistakes. My parents have made many, but I still love them, with all my heart. And it’s the same for the rest of the Avengers, you know? And they love me, even when I made some mistakes, too”

“So, what, you admire me even when I’m wrong?”

“You _were_ wrong, but you’ve redeemed yourself, now. Just as Loki”

“It’s an interesting way to put it, Peter. Er… thank you”

“No problem! Do you, uh, do you think you could tell me some stories? I mean, if you’re not okay with it, then it’s okay if you don’t, but…”

“Kid, stop being so nervous. And sure, we can do that, I can tell you some… stories”

Peter smiled from ear to ear, and Valkyrie tried to not get a soft spot for the misgardian, but it was hard. He seemed genuine and a good soul, and, if Thor appreciated him the way he did- like he was his own blood- maybe it was because of a powerful reason.

So, the warrior spent a few hours with Peter, telling him stories about her. When it was too hard to keep talking, the teenager saw it, and started to tell her stories about him. That’s how she found out about how he was a truly amazing hero. He really had the soul of a warrior, despite his young age, and the asgardian knew he had greatness in his future. That’s why, when he told her he had to leave to go on his patrol, she patted his head affectionately. 

“I had a great time, Peter, thank you”

“No problem! We can do this whenever you can… if you want that, that is”

“Of course. Maybe I can tell you some other stories”

“Yes! That sounds amazing!”

“Great. Then, you can go” Peter nodded, and when he was already getting into the elevator, Valkyrie chose to take another step “Oh, and Peter?”

“Yes?”

“Valkyrie is who I am. I was, and I guess still am, a Valkyrie. But my real name is Brunnhilde”

“That’s a pretty name” the teenager smiled.

“Thank you. What I wanted to say is… you can call me by my name. Actually, call me Brunn. The whole name it’s too… well, it makes me feel something I don’t feel like. So: Brunn. But just for you, alright? I don’t do this with many people”

“ _Ohmygod_ yes, sure. Thank you, Brunn! I’ll come by tomorrow! Bye!”

Valkyrie laughed just as the elevator’s doors were closing.

“Bye, Peter” she said, and watched as he left. Then, she shook her head and went to sit on the couch again, going back to her weapons “. That kid is sure something else”

 

Peter was _over the moon_. He was friends with Loki _and_ Valkyrie! God, his life was pretty amazing, in those moments. His family still seemed distant from them, but Peter, more than before, wanted to change that. That’s why he invited both, Loki and Valkyrie, into his Penthouse, one day his parents were away, having lunch by themselves as a mid-day date. 

“Are you sure this is okay, child?” Loki asked, unsure. He had refused to go up, but Peter had managed to convince him. How, he didn’t even _know_. That child seemed to control him without Loki even knowing, and same it went for the Valkyrie. They were lucky enough Peter didn’t have a bad bone in his body.

“Yes! Look, you’ve been here for a couple of weeks, and things are not getting too much better. It’s still tense, with you two. Specially with you, Mr. Loki”

“Kid, stop calling me Mr.Loki. I’ll be glad if you only call me Loki”

“Okay, Loki, sorry. Anyway, I though if I show my parents you’re not bad, then maybe things get easier”

“I’s very noble for you to try something like this, Young Peter, but I think you’re in the wrong, here”

“Please, I know my Dads. Maybe Dad takes a little longer, but my Pops is all about rightness, and accepting others. He’ll be at my side”

“As you say, child. I’ll trust you in this one” Loki sighed. Peter smiled and got into the Penthouse, and both of the guests looked around them. For how much they knew Tony, they were expecting something extravagant, a little over the top, maybe. However, the Penthouse was not like that. 

It was a big space, big enough for all of the Avengers to be there (only in the lounge) and still have plenty of space to move. It was truly a huge space. It had furniture that mixed old with new, with neutral colours. Pictures decorated the walls and some furniture, and overall it looked so… cozy. It was clear a family lived there, with all the pictures, and the books on some tables, and even with one sweatshirt thrown over one chair. 

“So, your parents…?”

  
“Are out for a few hours”

“Make this clear for me, if you may: ‘Dad’ is…?”

“Tony”

“So ‘Pops’ is Steve”

“Yeah. When I was little I called him Papa, but that changed”

“Alright. It’s surprising I didn’t understand it earlier, with you saying how your Pops is the one with all the… ‘rightness’, you said?”

“Yeah. Look, let’s go to my room. We can be calmer, in there”

Loki and Valkyrie found themselves nodding, and followed Peter to his room. Again, it was a really big space. He had a kind size bed in the middle of it, and the room was full of stuff Loki didn’t truly understand. He could only guess those things were normal for midgardian teenagers. He took seat in one of the fluffy chairs that decorated the room.

“What’s all of this? I’m not used to these… things” he said, trying to be polite. Peter had always been kind to him, and he had shown interest in him and his life, non-stop, for the last two weeks. So he had to show the same respect and interest to him. And he genuinely cared about the kid: he was a good midgardian. 

“Oh, it’s some stuff that I like”

“How about you tell us about it?” Valkyrie asked, gently “. You’ve shown interest in us, and it’s time we get to know you even better”

Peter smiled brightly, and then started to explain everything in words that they knew. He had a lot of patience, saying how he had to explain quite the lot of things to his Pops and Uncle Bucky anyways. Steve was so bad with new technologies, no matter how long he lived in the 21st century. Loki and Valkyrie listened to his every word, trying to understand. Soon enough, they were asking questions, and Peter was almost begging Loki to show him some magic. The God finally gave in and started to show some tricks to Peter, choosing to start with some smaller ones. Peter was fascinated by them, and even Valkyrie showed some interest. Thor appeared not even an hour later, but just sat with them in silence, happy to see his brother that happy. Maybe Loki didn’t realise it, but Peter’s company was doing so good to him. He was far more relaxed, and he smiled more. The now king of Asgard knew his young nephew could do something like this: only Peter’s bright personality could make the God of Mischief warm up to somebody. 

Bruce also found his way into the room, in his way to find Tony. When Peter told him he was out with Steve, the scientist chose to stay with that weird group who he had learned to love and fight with. Plus, his nephew was there, and that was always a bonus.

After a few peaceful hours of magic and Peter’s amazement, the Superhusbands returned to their home. They called for their son, and when he didn’t answer asked FRIDAY about his whereabouts.

“FRI, is Peter on patrol?” Tony asked, taking off his jacket “. It’s too soon for him to be”

“He’s not, Sir. Young Peter is in his bedroom”

“Then why is he not answering?” Steve asked, frowning “With his superhearing he must’ve heard us, even if he has his earphones on”

“Don’t know, babe. Best thing we can do is check”

Steve sighed, but nodded and went to Peter’s room, Tony following him. He knocked on the door, but it opened at his touch, like it wasn’t properly closed. The blond frowned once again and opened it completely, gaping at the sight. 

His son was floating in the air. And no floating thanks to the webs, or anything, but thanks to a weird green energy that… God, came from Loki’s hands. He froze, and he felt Tony do the same. Trough his head millions of scenarios were happening: the God twisting their precious son’s mind, trying to kidnap him or do something horrible to him, maybe torture or…

Wait, no, he thought. His son was actually _laughing_ , like he was having the best time of his life. _And_ it was his honest laugh, the one that was so pure it warmed Steve’s heart. He looked around the room: the warrior Thor had brought was there, dressed casually and smiling at Peter. She looked unarmed, so that was a plus. Bruce was also there, looking incredibly relaxed, even when Steve could see how he was constantly checking with his eyes that Peter was fine. Lastly, Thor was also in the room, smiling from ear to ear, laughing every few seconds. 

After what felt like hours, Peter seemed to notice they were in the room, both Tony and him gaping incredulously at the scene.

“Dad! Pops! Look, I’m flying!”

“I… I see that, honey” the blond said, weakly. He felt Tony’s hand on his, gripping it really tightly “. Er… what are you doing?”

“Loki was teaching me some tricks!” He exclaimed, and Loki - _thanks Heaven_ \- finally put him down. The teenager straightened out his clothes and smiled again at them “. Don’t you worry, I asked him to do it. And it’s so _cool_! Would you guys like, I don’t know, let me take some magic classes? Maybe Loki can teach me to do some things, like Dr.Strange can”

“Kid, you literally killed my brain” Tony said, gripping Steve’s hand like it was the only thing giving him sanity “. I literally cannot think straight right now”

“Tony, my friend, I promise you Peter was under no harm. You know I swore to protect him with my life since the moment he was born”

“I know, Thor, buddy, but the whole scene is kind of… too much”

“That’s only because you want to” Peter huffed.

“Sorry?”

“I mean, Dad, that it’s you guys the ones that make it weird. Loki and Brunn came to the Tower two weeks ago and…”

“I am sorry, Brunn?” Steve asked. Valkyrie raised her hand.

“That’d be me. My name, outside of my position, is Brunnhilde. However, I only allowed Peter to call me that. Only he can do that”

“I swear to God, kid, you’d manage for Satan to adore you, if you wanted” Tony scoffed. Steve tried not to laugh; the situation was just so bizarre. He owned Fury Bill Gate’s fortune, at that point. 

“Guys, you have to warm up to Loki and Brunn. They’re part of this Tower and of this family, too, even if they’ll spend quite the time in Norway. We should accept them”

“Peter…”

“Pops, it’s you the one who is all about accepting others and giving second chances. You were given a chance, like, a hundred years ago and-“

“Don’t exaggerate, it wasn’t a hundred years ago”

“-you became Captain America, and proved that you were a hero. Dad, you decided to start over, and you could. Both of you made mistakes, but you got over them and became better people… why can’t it be the same for Loki, or Brunn?”

Tony and Steve looked at their son, almost speechless. Peter’s words made so much sense, and suddenly they couldn’t really tell him why. 

“I don’t know, Peter” Tony finally said.

“Then take the time to know them, please. At least try to do that”

Steve and Tony sighed, and looked at each other. Peter was right: they had to give them another chance. Bruce had also went trough a hard time, with Loki, but he seemed to be okay with him around. And they owed Thor at least that. 

“Fine, we’ll do that. I’ll tell you this: we go to the lounge, right now, and we talk. Maybe we can call the Avengers that are in the Tower. I think it’s just Natasha, Clint and Bucky, the rest are Upstate. But we can work with what we have, so far”

“I think it’s a good idea, Tony” Loki said, trying to be nice. They did as Tony had suggested, and it wentpretty good, all things considered. They even had dinner together, and Steve had proposed to have a movie night. Loki and Valkyrie were pretty lost with that term, but Peter quickly explained, and they agreed to one. Loki was incredibly comfy around them, even when he still was a little bit wary. But, having Peter in the room made him feel more secure, as if the teenager was a constant reminder that he could trust these people. They ended up seeing a weird sci-fi movie that Loki didn’t quite understood, but watched nonetheless. Peter was sat right beside him, and not even one hour into the movie, he felt how he rested his head against his shoulder. He looked down and saw that he was asleep, so he shut up and kept watchingthe movie. However, it wasn’t too long until the teenager frowned, and he tensed. Loki frowned, too, and looked down at him. Then, he looked at Steve, who was near them.

“Captain” he called, quietly. Steve looked at him, smiling softly. 

“Yes?”

“I think something is going wrong with young Peter”

“Oh” Steve frowned, looking at his son “. I think he’s having a nightmare”

“Does he have a lot of those?” Loki asked, worried about his young friend. Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. By then, everybody had realised what was happening.

“He didn’t, before, but since he turned a superhero, it’s… more common. A few months back he had a huge fight and it ended up with a ceiling on top of him, and that has given him quite the nightmares…”

Loki frowned again. He understood what Steve said, and thought that it was normal- it was normal to have nightmares. However, it was not _okay_ for _Peter_ , out of all people, to have them. The God of Mischief knew Peter was an amazing hero, and he knew it was bound to happen, but still: that child was too precious to be hurting like that. He had to protect him at all costs. That’s why he put one finger in the centre of his forehead.

“What are you doing?” Tony asked, uneasy. Loki was not offended by his tone: Peter was Tony’s only son, so it was normal for him to be nervous. 

“I’m just clearing his mind, so he can stop having nightmares”

“But it’s not painful” Bucky said, from one of the couches “, right?”

“No, he won’t feel anything. He’ll just start having a peaceful dream”

Tony looked at them, watching how the frown on his son’s face disappeared, and was replaced by a soft smile. Then, he looked at Loki.

“Why are you doing this?”  
“Because I please to, and Peter has always been kind to me. He’s… quite the special child, so I don’t like to see him suffering”

“And just like that, Peter has another powerful being wrapped around his fingers” Clint snorted “. Welcome to the club, Loki. We’re all there”

Loki smiled, and surprised himself when he realised it was genuine. They restarted the movie and the asgardian looked discreetly at Peter’s parents, who were smiling at their son. They seemed calmed and okay with the fact that Peter was still resting his head against Loki’s shoulder. Tony and him exchanged looks, and the genius mouthed ‘thank you’ to him, and Loki felt warm. Who knows, maybe… maybe things were not going to be so bad.

Who’d have guessed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys love it! Remember you can always request something! Right now I have quite the requests, so if you do, it'll maybe take a while, but I'll do it nonetheless. 
> 
> Well, tomorrow there's a new chapter of my Story, so hope you like that, and I'll see you next time! Bye! Oh, and don't forget to comment and leave kuddos! It motivates me so much


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Steve have the perfect life, with their son Peter
> 
>  
> 
> But... do they, really?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> First of all: I know it's been, like, forever. I have an excuse, though. I'm writing a story (that I'm already publishing, if you wanna check out), and I got super into it, so I didn't have time to write more one shots. Once I finish it, I'll go back to the usual posting here, but meanwhile... I'm focusing on that one.
> 
> However, the other day I just had this idea that wouldnt get out of my head, so I thought: bah, just write it down. And, here we are. I really hope you guys like it, but, something quick:
> 
> -JARVIS exists in this story -thus, Vision does not-, but Ultron happened. You can imagine how they defeated him, I guess. Okay, enjoy the story!

“Papa!”

Steve smiled at the voice of his little son, and quickly kneeled to catch the excited form of seven year old Peter.

“Hi A stór! Why are you in such a hurry, baby?”

Peter giggled, and then gestured for Steve to get closer. Steve only smiled wider and did as told, resting his forehead against Peter’s much smaller one. The kid turned his head a little bit and whispered into his ear:

“I have a surprise for you, Papa”

“Oh, really? Can you tell me what is it?”

Peter laughed, shaking his head.

“No! If I tell you it’s not a surprise!”

“Then when can I see it?”

“Now! Come, Daddy is waiting for you in the kitchen!”

Steve laughed and stood up, picking his son up and resting him against his hip. Even when Peter was seven years old -barely, mind you-, he was a small child. It wasn’t that surprising: Tony and also him -before the serum- were not too tall, so it made sense for their kid to be short, as well. Either way, Peter was more than perfect. 

When he entered the kitchen, warmness spread out trough his chest. His husband had a beautiful cake -that was in itself falling, clearly made by him and their kid, but it was the most beautiful cake Steve had ever saw. Peter jiggled in his arms, so he quickly put him down, and the kid ran towards Tony, who put a steady hand on his shoulder, smiling adoringly towards his husband.

“Surprise, Papa. Pete and I thought we could prepare you a little farewell party”

Steve smiled, going over to the engineer and kissing his lips sweetly.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea. Thank you, darling”

“Everything for you” Tony mumbled, smiling when Steve kissed him again. The Captain picked their son again, kissing his cheek numerous times soundly, making Peter laugh. The scene warmed Tony’s heart and for a moment, he wanted to stop time, to prevent Steve from going to the mission. 

“And thank you, too, Bambi. Papa loves this”

Peter smiled brightly, and then he gestured to the table.

“I made you a drawing, Papa, so you can take it with you and show it off!”

“The last term I taught him” Tony piped in. Steve rolled his eyes at him, but the smile didn’t drop off of his lips. He picked the drawing Peter had made, and smiled. It showed Tony, Peter and him; the typical child’s drawing. However, to Steve was a masterpiece. It was his son’s, and it was made specifically for him. Plus, Peter seemed to have some of Steve’s abilities in art, so the drawing was actually not bad at all. Steve had been teaching him, too. 

“It’s beautiful, Peter” he told his son, kissing his forehead. Peter smiled, happy “. Look, Papa is going to fold it and save it, okay?”

Peter nodded and let Steve do what he said, and then he kissed the side of his head again, cradling it. Tony snapped a picture of the two, smiling. He loved his husband and their son more than anything in the entire world. 

They ate the cake -that was surprisingly delicious-, and stayed together until it was time. Steve let Tony take a selfie of the three of them, because it was something they usually did if one of the husbands had to leave for a mission. It was an easy way for Peter to miss them less. Steve hugged his son and kissed all of his little sweet face.

“Papa loves you so, so much, Peter. More than anything, you know that, right?” Peter smiled, nodding. Steve smiled, too, and kissed his forehead one last time “. Good, baby. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay Papa”

“I love you, little Bambi”

“Love you too, Papa!”

Steve smiled and put Peter down. Then, he hugged his husband to his body and kissed his lips sweet and slow.

“I’m going to miss you, baby” he whispered over his lips. Tony smiled sadly and brushed his fingers over his husband’s earlobes, just as Steve loved. 

“We’ll see each other soon. The mission is not going to be that long, only a couple of weeks, right?”

“Right. I just…”

“Yeah, I know” Tony cut him off, knowing what he meant. Ever since Peter’s birth, they had decided to take turns with the missions, not wanting to leave Peter completely alone. The mission Steve had to leave for now was big enough for all of the Avengers to go, minus Tony and Colonel Rhodes, and they both hated that “. I’ll miss you, too”

“But I’ll see you soon”

“Yeah”

Steve smiled, content, and then kissed Tony again.

“I love you, my love. So, so much”

“I love you too, Vita Mia. So, so incredibly much”

Steve smiled one last time, and kissed Tony again. Then, he grabbed his things and pocketed his chest: he had his son’s drawing in there, so: he wasn’t forgetting anything. Only, maybe, his heart, but his boys were going to keep that in a really, really safe place. 

“I’ll see you guys soon. I love you”

“I love you, Papa!” His son exclaimed. Steve leaned in to kiss him one last time, pecking his crown, and then kissed Tony, too.

“I love you, too” Tony said “, please be safe”

Steve nodded and, with a last smile, left the Penthouse. Peter’s lip started to quiver almost immediately, and Tony sighed, opening his arms and picking him up. The kid hid his face on his Dad’s shoulder and cried silently, and Tony just rocked him, patiently. 

Peter always put on a brave face when one of his parents left. He was happy at the farewell party, and he was all over them in their goodbyes, but, as soon as Tony or Steve disappeared into the elevator, his barriers were usually just… destroyed. It broke the Superhusbands’ heart, every time it happened. Tony shushed his kid and kissed the side of his head, and then went to their living room.

“C’mon, Bambi, you and I can do something fun. Like… do you want to see a movie with Daddy? We can pick whichever you want”

Peter sniffed and looked at him, tiny hand rubbing his already red eyes. Tony smiled lovingly and brushed his hands over his son’s wet cheeks, gently. He kissed both of them, and also his little nose. 

“Whichever I want?”

“That’s what I said, baby”

“Can we see Star Wars, Daddy? The one Papa loves”

“Of course, baby. Let’s see that one”

Peter smiled and Tony sat in their sofa, asking FRIDAY to display the movie. Peter accommodated himself on his Dad’s lap and fell asleep not even at half the movie. Tony let him sleep and ran a hand trough his soft curls, absently. He was going to miss Steve, too, but they’d see him soon. With a soft smile, and the end of the movie playing in the background, he too fell asleep. Yeah, he’d see Steve soon.

 

 

 

Except, he didn’t.

 

 

Because, you know, Steve went MIA just barely five days later. 

 

 

Tony wasn’t expecting it. Sure, they were superheroes; they were Avengers. They knew stuff could get hard, they knew their lives were fragile. But, at the same time, they fought to come home, and they always, always, wanted to go back to their little paradise, with their son and their partner. So, Tony never thought Steve wouldn’t make it. It didn’t make sense, not with his husband, not with his Steve. It just didn’t. 

He was working in his lab when Rhodey came in with the news, looking more serious than Tony had ever seen him. He, of course, was the chosen one to tell Tony the news: he was his best friend, and his rock since he was fourteen years old. Plus, the Colonel wanted to be the one breaking to Tony the news. He knew the genius, and he knew how he could react to them. And… he knew he was one of the only people in the world able to treat with Tony when he was like that. So, even when he was heartbroken, too, he decided to go down to the labs and talk to the engineer. He didn’t want to do it in the Penthouse, where Peter could hear them -the kid was in school, anyways, but… Rhodey preferred to be cautious. 

The second he saw his best friend, Tony knew something was wrong. And, the moment he saw Rhodey’s tearful eyes, he just _knew_. His husband was not coming home. 

_How_ , he had asked, _when, who… why_. _Why._ ** _Why_**. 

Rhodey didn’t know much. The only thing sure was that the _entire_ team sent to the mission was Missing. They had been for a few days, but authorities had thought it’d be wiser to just not tell it until they knew for sure. Of course, Tony thought it was fucking _stupid_. With his intellect maybe they could’ve been able to find something, anything. But now, his husband and the major part of their family were just… gone. Their bodies nowhere to be found, but gone. Rhodey said no one had high hopes of finding them, let alone finding them alive… he said it was going to be public soon, and that they should prepare for the PR chaos. Tony knew, of course he did. He grew up in the spotlight, after all, but Tony… Tony was not there.

Because his husband was dead.

And he was not.

And they had Peter. 

They were parents.

They had swore to always be there for their kid

But Steve was not

Could not, anymore

Because he was dead

 

Rhodey always told Tony how fucking terrifying it’d been, to look at him. He had expected him to have a panic attack. He had prepared himself to help him with his breathing, with his heart, with something _physical_. But Tony just… stared. He just stared with a blank gaze, barely breathing.

He thought it was funny Rhodey thought he could act like he had a broken heart.

Truth is: he didn’t have a heart, anymore

Because Steve had died

And he had took it with him.

 

“You know, they’re not saying killed in action” Rhodey had been talking for almost two hours now, trying to get his best friend to talk, to react, to do something, _anything,_ goddamn it “. They think there’s still a chance he’s alive. They don’t know about all of the others, but they have high hopes for them as well. They’re not dead, Tones, just missing”

A single tear escaped Tony’s eyes, but he didn’t bother to clean it.

“Tony, come on, say something. Please, I’m worried”

“What hour is it?” He asked, weakly. His voice was barely a whisper, but Rhodey heard him.

“A little over one p.m, Tony. Why?”

“Peter will come soon” he said, look still blank “. He’s gonna come home, and I’ll have to tell him his Papa is gone. I have to tell my son we’re alone, from now on”

“But you’re not alone, Tones” Rhodey said, hugging him tightly to his body. Tony didn’t hug back, but the Colonel didn’t mind. He stroke his back gently, remembering other times, when Tony was a lost kid in MIT “. You have me, and Pepper, and Happy, and Fury, and Maria, and Coulson… we love you, and we love Peter. So, so much”

“Doesn’t matter” Tony mumbled “. It doesn’t matter because my husband is dead, Rhodey”

“MIA” his best friend corrected, but Tony didn’t care about that. 

“He’s not coming home, James”

“You don’t know that, okay? You don’t”

“Oh, then what I tell my kid? That his Papa is not coming home today, but that he still can do it tomorrow, in one year, in twenty? What should I do, make Peter wait for something we both know it’s not happening?”

“How do you know it’s not?”

“Because I know… I knew” he corrected “my husband, honey bear. He wouldn’t leave Peter and I alone, Rhodey, not in a million years. If no one can find him, then…”

His voice cracked, but he didn’t cry. Rhodey left shortly after, when Tony told him he preferred to tell his son the news alone. His best friend told him to call him if they needed something, _anything, Tones, please do it_. Tony promised, but he wasn’t sure he’d call. 

He waited until it was time, and went to the Penthouse. He usually picked Peter up, but Pepper had told him she was going to, that day. Something about him needing to finish a few projects. He sat in the living room, looking around and seeing the pictures that made that place a home. Steve had left a book on the table, a marker almost at the end of it. He would never finish it, now. 

 

Telling Peter was the hardest thing Tony did in his life. His son looked at him with those big Bambi eyes, confused and not knowing what to feel. And looking at them hurt. It hurt, because he saw Steve in those eyes.

Of course, everyone told them Peter had the eyes of his Dad, and it was true. The colour, the shape; they resembled Tony’s. But, his _eyes_ , the way he looked with them, the way his smile lighted them up in a really, really beautiful way. That look, that sweetness they had, how soft they were at times… that was Steve, and no one was telling him otherwise. Steve had tried to, one time, telling him they were like his, like Tony’s, telling him his eyes could be that soft, too. Telling him they were the sweetest eyes he’d ever seen. Of course, Tony didn’t believe him. Peter’s eyes were also Steve’s. And now they were looking at him, heartbroken. Tears were already pooling at them, and a little hand was on Tony’s cheek, petting it, in a show of distress since Tony had told him Papa was not coming home.

“What do you mean he’s not coming home, Daddy?” He asked, voice almost a whisper and so, so little “. Doesn’t Papa love me anymore?”

“Oh, no, no, baby” Tony was quick in telling him otherwise. He sat Peter on his lap, hugging him to his body. Pepper had left after he told her what had happened, Peter in his bedroom. She had started to cry, but the business woman had quickly left in search of Rhodey and Happy, wanting to give the genius some privacy. Then Peter had come into the room and… Tony kissed his baby boy’s head, trying to calm him down “. Papa loved you more than anything, okay?”

“Then why is he not coming home?”

“He can’t do it, Peter”

“Why?”

Tony bit his lip. What was he supposed to tell his son? Peter was smart - _so, so smart_ -,  which sometimes was a struggle for Steve and him. What was he going to tell him?

“Peter… look, I’m going to be sincere, alright? Because you know Daddy wants to tell you the truth all the time”

Peter nodded, rubbing his eyes, not crying quite yet.

“Okay, Daddy”

“Papa and the rest of the team are not coming home because something went wrong, with the mission”

Peter tilted his head, confused a little bit.

“Did the bad guys win?”

“No, baby, but Papa and the rest… they disappeared. It’s what we call M.I.A, Pete. Missing in action”

Peter pouted, and some tears started to fall. Tony tried to clean them off, but his son was quickly starting to sob.

“Then that means Papa is dead?”

“We don’t know, Peter. But… yeah, it’s most likely Papa is dead”

It was breaking him to say those words, because now they really sunk in. But… he had to be sincere with Peter. And with himself, too.

“No!” The kid exclaimed, his little hands slapping Tony’s face in a poor attempt of escaping his hold.

“Peter, please…”

“Papa is not dead! You’re lying, Papa is not dead!”

“Peter, caro mio, I know this is horrible, but…”

“Papa is coming home” the kid kept saying, ugly crying now. Tony felt some tears start falling off his eyes, too, unable to hold them anymore “He promised, he promised _me_!”

“He wanted to, Peter, but sometimes things are not the way we wanted them to be, okay? But it’s not your fault, nor it’s Papa’s”

“That’s a lie! He left me alone! I hate him, I hate him!”

“Peter, don’t say that” Tony pleaded. His son’s body was convulsing in sobs now, cries escaping his tiny lips. Tony hugged him to his body, rocking him and crying, too. He had tried to be strong for him, and he had tried to keep his tears for himself. He’d made it with Rhodey, and with Pepper, too, but he was just unable to do it with Peter. His son breaking down like that was more than he could handle “. Please, baby, don’t say that. Papa loved you, he did, but he had no choice but leave”

Peter sniffed into his shoulder, shaking his head. 

“No, Daddy. I hate him”

Tony sighed, shaking his head.

“He’s going to miss you just as much as you’re going to miss him, Peter. I swear. But, and hear me out now: you don’t hate him, because Papa has not left you”

“You just said that”

“Well… yeah. And what I said was true: Papa left, because he’s not coming home. _But_ , Peter, Papa is always going to be here” he tapped his son’s heart, and his own “, and here” he tapped their heads. Peter looked at him and started sobbing, again, and Tony just started sobbing, too. 

 

 

They spend the next days curled up in bed, ignoring the world. Peter sleeps on Steve’s side, and he smells his Papa’s pillow and cries over it. Tony puts on Steve’s favourite sweatshirt, and he cries while he has it on, too. Happy usually goes three to four times a day to visit them, to make them eat, to keep them alive.

Tony wants to be strong for his son, but he feels like he can’t breath, can’t eat, can’t just… live. He hugs Peter to his body each night, giving it to exhaustion, and not to sleep. His son just clings to him, and he still says he hates Steve, but it’s a little bit less. Hill and Fury come one day, and they just keep them company. Fury holds a deep sorrow in his eyes, and Hill has to wipe her eyes every few minutes. She ends up curling with them, in the bed, close to Peter, for a few hours.Fury sits next to Tony and, in a surprisingly tender gesture, runs a hand trough his curls. 

Coulson comes, too. He also gets in bed with Tony and Peter, but he does more than that: he makes them food, he forces them to take a shower, and he tells them the world already knows about it. Tony should’ve expected it: Peter’s school knew, and they had let the kid stay at home for a while, knowing losing a parent was something devastating for a little child.

The world is devastated, too. The Avengers are trending topic every day. Not only the Avengers, but also the name of every one of them lost. Tony receives hundreds of thousand of messages a day, and he thinks he’ll read them, someday, when he feels ready to. 

They had programmed a little service for them. They’re not officially dead, so it’s not a funeral, but they want to pray for their souls. Of course, they have invited Tony, and Peter. They wanted them to be there, want to show their respects. 

Tony has to go, and he has to go as the representative of the Avengers, and as the hurting husband of Steve, of the lost hero. It’s just, he doesn’t know if he’s that strong.

Rhodey tells him he can go, if Tony doesn’t feel like it. But the engineer actually _wants_ to. He wants to thank every person that is supporting them, that is sending love, and prayers, and good energy and positive thoughts to them. He wants to, so he says yes. 

Surprisingly enough -at the moment, when he thinks about it he sees it’s logical-, they’re having two separate ceremonies. One, he goes and sits discreetly. It’s a quiet one, public, but silent. They’re praying for the Avengers, for their souls. Tony is not a believer, but he just tells them in his head how much he loves and misses them, over and over again.

Then, it’s one only dedicated to his husband. It’s, of course, the Government’s idea. Steve Rogers is an icon, he’s a living legend. So, they want him to have one, just him. Tony thinks about protesting about it, he wants to tell them the rest of the Avengers are - _were_ , _they were_ \- just as important as Steve, but he doesn’t have the strength. For that one, Peter begs to go. He wants to be there, he wants to be there for his Papa.

So Tony dresses him in a suit, matching his, and they go. Peter has this solemn look on his face, and he has planned to go trough the entire thing without crying, but he just can’t do it. Tony picks him up the moment they step out of the car, and the kid just holds onto him. He starts crying quietly about five minutes in, when seeing pictures of his Papa right in front of him it’s too much for him. He hides his face in Tony’s shoulder and starts gradually crying more and more, until he’s sobbing. Tony caresses his back, but he’s also crying. He kisses his head and hides his own behind his son’s curls. Rhodey is there for them, stroking Peter’s back, brushing his fingers over Tony’s hand. Pepper and Happy are at his other side, a silent company that makes Tony feel better. It’s truly a heartbreaking scene to look at. 

He knows people are taking pictures, he knows the picture of him and his son crying, broken by their loss, is going to be in some history books, some day. He knows it’s going to be in every news paper, the next day, and he knows it’ll be circulating throughout the internet from now on. He knows it’s a good picture, because it’s powerful, because it holds an important meaning. 

The messages he receives after that just grow. They receive letters, gifts, everything. The street around the Tower is full with flowers, and stuffed animals, and candles, and messages. Tony is grateful for that, and he makes sure he tells the people, releasing an emotional message trough twitter, instagram, facebook: everywhere he can think of. 

It, of course, doesn’t mean things are easier. The moment they come from the ceremony, they get into bed. Peter still hates Steve, even more so since the ceremony, but Tony had been told it’s okay. Peter didn’t hate his Father, he just didn’t understand what was going on. In shock, they told him. In denial. 

Then, one day, his baby boy gets sick. It’s nothing too severe, just a bad cold, but it’s the first one since Steve’s… since he went away. It’s a month after the ceremony, and Peter still has to go back to class. He does some work to not be too left behind -Phil makes him do it, and Tony just observes them-, and Tony hasn’t worked in that time, either. 

However, when Peter gets sick, something changes within him. Peter being sick reminds him the world keeps moving on. It reminds him of what Steve’d do, how he’d cuddle their kid, how he’d be the perfect nurse. He tells himself he can’t keep the way things are. It’s not fair for them, it’s not fair for Steve. He has to change, and he knows it. It’s hard, but he has to. 

So they start to go back to their lives. It’s hard, of course it is. Steve and him had developed a nice routine going on, just the three of them, and now Tony is thrown off balance. But he makes it work.

Peter goes back to class one month and a half after his Papa’s passing. He hates the first day, because not one kid leaves him alone, all of them asking about his Papa. The kid hates it, yeah, but Tony hates it more. 

Tony goes back to work two months after, and he cries while he works, sometimes, but that’s something no one needs to know. 

And they decide to live. 

 

Peter is nine when he tells Tony he hates being Steve Stark-Rogers’ son. 

They’re at the kitchen. Tony is cooking some dinner, and Peter is doing his homework, quiet. It’s special homework, the one his Dad makes up for him. He’s starting to get really bored, in class, so Tony is teaching him at home, after school. His teachers have asked his Dad to skip him some grades, but his Dad had refused. Unknown to Peter, it was because of Steve. Tony and him had talked about the possibility of Peter skipping grades, and neither of them liked the idea. Tony especially knew it sucked. 

Tony is caught off-guard when his son tells him his new feelings. Peter had went trough a phase of hating Steve already, yes, and it had lasted a whole six months, until his Papa’s birthday had come up. Since then, he had never said he hated Steve, and Tony thought he was over it. 

It’s been two years and half since his husband’s -and the rest of the team-passing - _You know, they’re not saying killed in action. They think there’s still a chance he’s alive._ He’s just missing, he’s… missing, missing, missing-. It has been a tough time, but Tony is better, and Peter and him are starting to be truly okay, again. People are still sending love. Tony had even received a letter from a guy who was in a coma for a few years, who had just found out about the news. He was devastated. Tony and Peter went to visit him a few days after, and they cried together. It felt good.

Peter and him had developed a new life, a new routine. They had become more close in themselves, having, now, a much smaller family. Sure, Happy was always around -complaining about Peter but adoring him either way-, and Rhodey, Pepper, Fury, Hill and Coulson were around, too, although not that much. But none of them lived at the Tower, so: only Peter and him. And they were okay.

That’s why it surprises him, when Peter says that. He leaves the knife on the counter and goes to his son, who is doing his homework while pouting. 

Peter has turned into a beautiful kid. He has grown a lot, and every time Tony looks at him he just knows Steve would feel so, so proud. Not only him: the rest of their family, too. 

“Bambi, why are you saying that?”

“Because I hate being his son, Dad” he simply says. Tony takes the homework away, then, and he cradles Peter’s chin, making him look in his eyes. 

“Why?” He asks, firm “I want the truth, Peter. Now”

Peter sighs, but he still answers.

“Because it sucks, Dad. Because he’s not here, anymore, hasn’t been in more than two years, but every day in school I get comments about him”

“Oh, honey…”

“People are always talking about him. They ask me if I’m not sad, they tell me I should be. And I am, you know? ‘Cause I miss him. But they don’t know me, so they don’t know”

“Of course, baby boy, I get it”

“And they just… they compare me to him. They want me to _be_ him. I hate it, Dad. Everyone is expecting me to be Papa, and I don’t want to. I love him, but I want to be… Peter”

“And that’s why you hate being his son?”

Peter shrugged, making Tony’s fingers leave his chin.

“I think I’d be a normal kid, if he wasn’t my Father”

“Do you want to not be his son?”

Peter bit his lip, thinking about it for a while. Finally, to Tony’s relief, he shook his head.

“I am Papa’s son. I want to be, but I hate that the people just focus on that”

Tony sighed, kissing his son’s forehead. Then, he made him stand up, going into their living room. Peter sat on the couch, and Tony grabbed one picture of Steve they had always there. He put it in front of his son.

“The people compare you to your Father because they loved him. They do that because they admire him, because they want him to not be forgotten. You understand that, right?”

“Yeah”

“Papa was an incredibly human being, Peter. He was loyal, brave, generous… he was the best man I’ve ever met”

“I know, you’ve told me”

“I know. And, Peter, you’re his son. Of course people are going to see if you’re as good as your Papa”

“But I am not”

“Oh, you are, Peter. You are better than him, and than me”

“That’s a lie”

“It’s not. Papa and I were so proud of you, and still are. We always said you were going to be so, so much better than us, someday”

“But… I… I don’t know how to do that, how to be that”

“And you don’t have to, not know, okay? You’re only nine, Peter. But, hear me out: you don’t have to hate being Steve’s son. You have to be proud of it”

“Okay…”

“Peter, I’m serious”

“I know, Dad, and I am proud! But it’s… it’s too much pressure, sometimes”

Tony sighed, knowing his son was right. It was too much pressure, especially for a nine year old kid. A genius, yes, but a _kid_. 

“Kiddo, you don’t have to be a national hero. Not now, not ever, understood? If you want to be like Papa when you’re old, though, if you want to carry his legacy, the only thing you need to do is be as noble as he was. You have to be honest, and you have to defend the truth, and what’s right. There’s so many ways you can help people, Peter. So many ways you can be a hero, if you want to be. But, not now. You’re nine, now. This is something you have to worry about when you’re much more older, okay?”

Peter nodded, smiling a little bit.

“Okay, Dad. Do you think I’ll make Papa proud?”

“Of course, baby” Tony said, smiling and kissing his son’s crown “. You already are doing it”

 

 

Peter is fifteen when they declare them Killed in Action.

Is something they should’ve seen coming. It has been, what, eight years? There was people searching for them _everywhere_. The Governments of countless countries, organisations, even random people. They had all tried it. 

They never succeeded.

So, it shouldn’t be surprising that they decide to declare them dead, in the anniversary of their “death”.

Tony and Peter receive the news first. The President himself calls one Sunday afternoon. He tells Tony what’s going to happen, he tells him they’re going to declare them K.I.A in a few days. He tells Tony he wants to have a proper ceremony for them, he wants them to be buried and celebrated as American Heroes. Tony is numb. Tony doesn’t know how to breath. So he agrees. And then he hangs up. And then he collapses and scares Peter shitless.

When he wakes up, both Peter and him cry for Steve for the first time in a while. It feels good, as much as he wished they could stop crying about him, because Steve hated sadness. 

The messages are equally overwhelming as they were, eight years before. Peter has to stay at home for a few days, because people in his high-school were going crazy. Tony asks for privacy and respect, and, surprisingly, it’s granted. People still respected Steve so much that they wanted to respect his family, too. And, the people who don’t listen are quickly shut up by much more respectful individuals. Peter can go back to school, and his Dad and him start planning the funerals. They had decided they wanted one for all, not two, like when they had first disappeared. 

It’s as hard as the first time, if not more. Probably more, because now they know for sure they’re not coming back. It’s been eight years, and they’ve had no news of them, not a clue: anything. 

They’re not coming home, and it’s now that it really sinks in. 

Tony wants to do the funerals because he wants to pay a respect to his husband and family, but he hates it. In all the time Steve has spent away from his home, Tony had started to look less and less at his pictures. If he did, it was out of pure nostalgia, alone in his room and crying quietly. Peter and him also looked at pictures of them with Steve in important days, and they include the rest of the family, too. They remember them on their birthdays, and they honoured them.

Tony is so incredibly proud of his son. Peter had grew up to be a noble, and generous young man. He was so nice to others, only wanting to do good, to make the world a better place. He had the gentle, good and pure soul of his Papa.

And he had taken his words, when he was a nine year old kid, to heart. Peter was still young, but he had started -at twelve years old, when Tony allowed him- to go with his Dad to some charity trips. They went to soup kitchens together, they went to hospitals to visit the sick children. Peter had given him the idea of different scholarships, and they had created a lot of foundations that went from psychological help after a tragic loss to support art projects. Peter was always thinking about others, and he combined way too many things.

He had his high school, with the Debate Team, and he also had the charity work _and_ he helped Tony with some stuff already. The engineer loved to work with his son, so he didn’t really complained, but he wanted his kid to relax every once in a while. However, Peter seemed really adamant in doing what he wanted to do when he wanted to. Too much like his Papa, damn it. 

Peter was like him, too. He was a genius -obviously-, he was sassy, and stubborn, and such a little shit, sometimes (God, he adored his son). Rhodey usually told him Peter was a carbon copy of him, and he said he had a lot of Tony’s gestures and expressions. Peter was Tony’s proudest creation. He truly, truly, didn’t know how he had managed to have a son that exceptional. Steve’s genes, he guessed. 

The rest of the world adored Peter, too. He was the face of a new generation, one that was much more open-minded, one that was going to change the world. 

The teenager was also really… woke, he called it (see, Tony was still trying to learn his language). Peter had made himself social media under the supervision of Tony when he turned thirteen, and since the first moment, he had used it to raise awareness, and talk about quite the controversial topics. He used his pictures to educate his followers, and a lot of Tony’s acquittances were impressed by him. He was apprehensive at posting pictures of Steve at first, too, but when he had heard someone talking shit about his Papa, he posted the first one. Since then, he used to post little messages for him, showing it was okay, showing his grief and making it seem normal. Gosh, Tony would’ve given his life up for Steve to take it, for him to see their son so grown up. Peter was fifteen, but he was changing the world already. 

They made a beautiful ceremony for their family. This time it was outside, in Central Park. They told the people they could all go. There weren’t official guests, and the people loved that.

Everyone dressed nicely that day. Tony and Peter put on matching black suits, and Tony let Peter put on his Papa’s watch. He wanted for Peter to have something that was Steve’s. He had his wedding ring, anyways. 

They had kind of a circle in the heart of the park, with pictures of the lost Avengers, and other stuff they could think of. Peter and him were first row, standing with one arm around the other. Tony had his arm resting on his son’s shoulder, and he also rested his head on his son’s hair, when it was too hard for him to pretend he was fine. 

Peter stood there, proud to be who he was, to have the parents he had. He cried with his Dad, too, not scared to show his tears, and, just like eight years ago, they formed an equally heartbreaking and powerful scene. People took pictures of that, too, and both of them used it on their social medias. Power move, someone called it.

The park was packed. Everyone there was supporting the ceremony. It was truly something no one had ever seen, and it was devastatingly beautiful.

When they arrived home, though, they both did what they rarely did anymore: they got under the covers in Tony’s bed, and slept soundly for more than twelve hours. After that, they spent the rest of their weekend tinkering in the workshop, trying new recipes, watching Star Wars and, in Peter’s case, drawing his Dad’s face, who finally looked in peace.

As surreal as it was, they had lived trough Steve’s -and the other’s- funerals, and they had just kept living their lives, like nothing had changed. And, truly, nothing had: they had just made official what they had previously known: they were not coming home.

So, their normal lives continued. Peter went back to Midtown on Monday and Tony did a quick trip to San Francisco, leaving his son with Rhodey for a few days -which was, honestly, quite usual-. Eight years after the whole incident, they were kind of fine.

 

Until Tony discovered his son was Spiderman, of course.

 

Then he fucking lost it. 

 

 

Peter was already in college when he discovered his Dad sometimes talked to his dead Father. Of course, he thought that was not okay.

“Dad, hear me out here”

“Peter, why won’t you leave it be?” Tony asked, exasperated. His son rolled his eyes -of course, something he had inherited from him-, and threw his hands in the air. 

“Because I can’t! Dad, Pops died, what? Eleven years ago?”

“Peter…”

“Look, I know… I know it was hard, at the beginning. And I know you miss him. I miss him, too, Dad, every single day of my life. I miss Papa, but I know he’s not coming back, alright? No one is coming back: not even Thor. If we haven’t heard of a God, then… Dad, there was a funeral. A _funeral_ ”

“He’s still my husband, Peter. I miss him, and talking to him helps me to cope with everything”

“Still, Dad. Maybe it’s time you… I don’t know, try to find someone to live your life with”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Listen, Dad, I don’t want you to forget Papa, either, but he’s gone. And I’m in college; I’m growing up. Sure, I’ll keep living in New York, probably in the Tower, but I’m growing up. I get you focused in raising me, at first. And, I’m grateful. Truly, I am. I couldn’t have asked for a better Dad, ever. But, Dad, I don’t need you to raise me, anymore, you get that, right? And so… I want you to be happy”

“I am happy”

“I know, but… I don’t know, maybe someone could make you even happier? I don’t know”

“Peter, listen, I appreciate you wanting me to be happy. Truly, honey, I do. But… honestly, I’m not ready. I loved your Father more than anything. And I just… I can’t, okay? I can’t, Bambi”

“But…”

“Maybe some day. But not now”

“Okay, maybe some day…”

Tony smiled, and kissed his son’s forehead. He knew Peter meant well, and he was grateful for having such a good kid, but… he was fine. He truly was.

 

Life went on. It went on in the States, and it went on in a unknown island in the middle of the pacific. 

Some time after Peter’s talk with Tony, however, something changed.

Steve Stark-Rogers woke up.

And so did the rest of the team. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, um... hi *goes to hide, terrified*
> 
> Soooo I know this was DRAMATIC. But what can I say, I love drama. Before any os you asks, YES, this story has more than one part. Possibly three, actually. So, don't kill me just yet and just tell me what you thought hehe.
> 
> After this story I'll post one shots you guys have been asking me, but give me some time. As I said, I'm focusing on the story, first. However, if you have any idea, feel free to tell me, and I'll do it whenever I can. Meanwhile, PLEASE tell me what you thought in the comments and leave kudos if you can!
> 
> Okay, bye!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony Stark thinks he lost his husband years ago. Peter thinks his Papa died when he was seven
> 
> Now, let's hear Steve's version of it all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> God, I left you all with a pretty big cliffhanger, didn't I? Sorry about that! I know you guys want to read what happens next already, so, go on! Enjoy the chapter!

“Cap, we were waiting for you”

Steve smiled to his teammates, and sat next to Sam in the front of the Quinjet.

“Sorry, got caught up with Tony and Peter”

“Are they okay?”

“Yeah, I think so. Peter is probably crying now, though. He always does it once we leave… I hate it”

“Little punk will be alright, Steve, don’t worry” Bucky smiled “. He has Tony to help him”

“Yeah. I’m so lucky to have him as the other parent of my child, you know? He’s the best Dad I could’ve asked for Peter". 

“He really is an amazing Dad “ Natasha smiled “, but, so are you. Peter is going to be such an amazing kid when he grows up”

“He already is” Thor smiled “. Our nephew is a young noble midgardian”

“Gosh, I never thought I’d say it, but I’ll miss the little devil” Sam sighed.

“We’ll come home soon, we’ll see Peter and Tony soon enough “Bruce smiled. 

“Yeah, I guess” Steve said, smiling back. Soon, they were flying, talking about the mission. 

They didn’t have that many information: only that a dude had gone crazy, and they needed to stop him. Steve wanted to yell it wasn’t necessary for -almost- all of them to go, but if Fury had thought it was, maybe he was right. Maybe. 

Still, he was going to miss his husband and son, and their little home. He’d never thought, in a million of years, that he would be this happy in the new century. And, back when he was a little punk in Brooklyn: he had never thought he’d be able to love whoever he wanted, much less have a wonderful kid with him. 

But Tony… oh God, he was everything Steve could’ve dream of. Of course, when they had met each other they had kind of a rough start, but Steve thought it was normal. Both of them had strong personalities, and they were both really, really stubborn. But, not long after the battle of New York, they started mending their differences. They got to know each other for who they truly were, and quickly fell in love. After that, it had all happened really fast…

And there they were, happily married and with a happy kid to love and raise together. And Peter was the best kid ever. He was good, and pure, and just the light in Steve’s life. It also helped that the little one had inherited Tony’s eyes and smile. 

They were Steve’s everything, and he was going to miss them so terribly much, those two weeks.

 

They had ended up in one island, in the pacific. Mission was going smoothly, and Steve thought they could get home even sooner than they had originally thought. However… things started to go wrong on the fifth day.

They had found the guy. He was powerful but, with the Avengers fighting to stop him: he never had a chance of actually beating them. He was smart, and clever: but he was fighting against the best heroes in the entire Earth.

However, him being less powerful than them didn’t mean he hadn’t build quite the indestructible bunker. Not only that, the dude had built countless of traps, and he had gotten to Clint already. It wasn’t severe, but the archer had a cut on his forehead that was still dripping some blood. Steve knew he was going to be okay, but he still worried.

The rest of his teammates were holding pretty good, even Hulk. Steve would’ve wished for Banner to be there instead of Hulk, because, as much as the Green Guy helped them, they could’ve used Banner’s intellect, in those moments. But, Steve knew that was not going to happen, especially with that place being a huge trap. Too stressful for Bruce, sadly.

They were almost out, though. Steve could see the light coming from the end of one of the corridors, and he almost smelled the exotic air of the outside. He thought briefly about his son and husband, and how he was going to see them pretty soon. He was going to be home even before he had planned it, so Steve thought he could surprise them. Maybe they’d take Peter to the zoo; the little one had been asking to go for… _weeks_ , and Steve thought it was a great family plan. Who knows, maybe Bucky or the others would want to come with them, too. It’d be a pretty good day, all in all. 

Yeah, the Captain couldn’t wait to be home with his boys. And, maybe because he was distracted with other things, he didn’t realise the next trap. To be fair, none of his team saw it, as it was pretty much impossible to do so. Even Bucky or Natasha didn’t do it, and that’s why Steve’s world went suddenly black.

The last thing he remembered was seeing the light at the end of the corridor.

 

When Steve regained consciousness, his head was pounding, and he felt sore all over his body. His throat felt dry, and he felt itchy all over. He wanted to go back to sleep so, so badly, but at the same time: he knew he couldn’t. With effort, he slowly opened his eyes and blinked in the absolute darkness he was in, trying to see something. He sat up, again with some effort (his muscles were fucking screaming- _what had happened?_ ) and he looked around, opening his mouth in shock when he saw the rest of his teammates laying down in mattress, just like he was. They were asleep, and looked in good state, but... they looked older. Clint no longer had the cut on his forehead, and he had some light beard on his face. Natasha, next to him, had longer hair than Steve remembered. The Captain brought his hand to his face: he also had a beard, and, when he touched it, he realised his hair was longer, too. 

_Fuck, what had happened to them?_

He heard a groan, and turned his head to see Bucky also sitting up, rubbing his flesh hand against his eyes. 

“Punk?” He asked, blinking to get some darkness out, too. Steve sighed, raising his hand (again, he was sore. How? Why?). 

“I’m here, Jerk”

“What happened?”

“I... I don’t know. I just woke up”

“What are we doing here?”

“I don’t... oh. Buck, the mission. We were on a mission”

“Oh God, that’s right. We were trying to stop that dude...” 

“And we made it, but in our way back his place started becoming this maze, full of traps...”

“Yeah”

“Something must’ve gotten to us, Bucky”

“Gosh, it seems like it. The others...?”

Steve took his silence as a clear way of asking him if the others were dead, or alive. He sighed, and focused. His head still hurt, and his mind was still kind of foggy, too, but he focused on his super hearing. And... there. 

“I think I still hear their heartbeats” he said, relieved. He tried to get up, although his legs screamed in response “. Buck, we gotta help them. We don’t know when that guy’s coming back”

“Yeah, let’s get on it” his best friend said, also getting up. Their movements were slow, like it hurt them, and Steve knew that was the case. What in hell had happened, exactly? He remembered running towards the exit, he remembered thinking about his husband and son and then... nothing. God, Tony and Peter. How were they? They had to be fine, right? They had to be. Horrible ideas crossed Steve’s mind: he imagined that guy going after his boys; he imagined Tony being taken by surprise, he imagined him hurting his precious Peter… no. He could not, ever, let that happen. 

When he got to Bucky, however, his best friend looked at him like he was a ghost. For a terrifying second, Steve thought Bucky had become the Winter Soldier once again, but he knew it wasn’t possible. They had gotten rid of him years ago, right?

“Buck?” He asked, kind of worried “Is everything okay, man?”

“Stevie, your... your face” he murmured, pointing at it with a shaky hand. Steve frowned and brought a hand to his face, where he felt the beard he had felt, minutes before. 

“What is it?”

“You look... older”

The super soldier sighed, nodding. Bucky looked older, too, but Steve couldn’t precise what had exactly changed: it was too dark to do so. Still, he knew, deep down maybe, that something truly horrible had happened to them. 

“You do too, Buck” 

“Steve, what has happened to us?”

“I don’t know, Bucky. I have no idea”

His best friend sighed, looking distressed. Steve knew Bucky was hating the situation. As the Winter Soldier, he had moved from decade to decade without his consent and even knowledge, a lot of times, so the Brunet hated those sort of things. Still, Bucky clapped one hand on Steve’s shoulder and tried to smile to him. 

“C’mon punk, let’s wake up the others”

Steve nodded, getting to work. He woke up Bruce first, because the scientist had a different nature than the rest of them. He looked at Steve, confused beyond words and blinking rapidly. Now that he was looking at him up close, Steve noticed he had some wrinkles around his eyes that weren’t there before. He seemed to have more grey hairs, too, which was a little bit disturbing. 

“Cap?” He asked, trying to locate himself. Steve smiled sweetly, trying to calm the scientist down -he didn’t want the Hulk making an appearance anytime soon, please-, and rested a steady hand on his shoulder. 

“Hi, Bruce”

“What’s going on? Why do you look older? What happened? Where are the others?”

“I don’t know what’s going on, Bruce, but please breathe. I don’t know why I look older either, but you do, too. I don’t know what happened, and the others are fine, I think. They’re just sleeping, it seems”

“But how...? Oh, damn. The mission”

“Yeah” the blond sighed “. Something went wrong, but not Buck nor I remember what exactly happened”

“I don’t either, Cap, sorry”

“It’s okay. The important thing is that you’re okay. Now we have to wake up the others and leave this place before the guy comes back”

Bruce nodded, and stood up after only a few attempts. 

“Damn, my entire body hurts”

“Yeah” Steve sighed, again “, it’s the same for Bucky and me”

“I fear I feel kind of beaten down, too, my friend Steve” he heard Thor say. Steve turned around to see Bucky helping the God stand up, and could only smile sympathetically at him. 

“It’s okay, big guy. I’m sure we’ll all feel better soon”

Thor smiled, nodding. Together, all four of them helped waking the other ones up. Everyone was confused, and most of them looked in pain when they moved. Steve was especially shocked when he saw Wanda: she was a kid when he had closed his eyes. Now, she looked like an adult. 

“What the fuck happened to us?” Clint asked, looking at his teammates. They, just like the archer, had no idea. They were pretty scared, too. 

“We don’t know” Steve answered, looking at his teammates, too “. But right now, that’s not important. We have to focus on getting out of here, before anyone comes in”

“Cap’s right” Sam said “. We gotta get out of here” 

“Damn right” Bucky said, going to the door. With only little hesitation, he broke it and opened, shrugging at his teammates stunned gazes “. What? Guy is gonna attack us either way. It’s better if we go to him to fight, right?”

“Well, he’s not wrong” Natasha sighed, stepping outside. The others followed her, ready to fight even when they were still feeling sore and in different states of pain. 

They didn’t get too far, though. Not even one hundred meters from the door, they found the dead body of their kidnapper. It seemed like he had been dead for a while -a few days, maybe. One week tops-. He seemed older than the team remembered, too, and that only worried them even more. They ran quick to get out of there, having stolen the phone of the man’s body first, to try to call someone. Once they were out of the place, they first realised it was late in the evening. Second: it was kind of hot, so... maybe they’d been a few months in a comatose state. Only the thought of that made them shiver. 

“What do we do now?” Wanda asked, her voice trembling. Natasha put a comforting arm around her, trying to calm her down. The last thing they needed was someone freaking out. 

“We have to call for help” Sam, being the logical one, said.

“Great idea!” Thor exclaimed. He could probably fly somewhere, Sam too, but they felt too tired, too exhausted (which was an ironic thought, given the fact that they had just spent some time asleep) “. Which one of us can get a raven the fastest?” 

“Thor, buddy” Bruce said, smiling gently at him “, Steve grabbed a phone. I think we’re gonna use that” 

“Yeah, sounds like a solid idea, to me” Clint said “. Now the question is: who do we call? Tony?”

“No” Steve immediately said “. If we’ve been out a few months, like I suppose, he’s going to freak out when we call him, I’m sure”

“Then who do we call?” Natasha asked. 

“We can try to call Fury, I guess” Steve mumbled, biting his bottom lip. 

“I think Fury is a good idea. Call him already, punk”

Steve nodded towards Bucky and then dialled Fury’s phone, glad that he knew it by heart. Not even two beeps later, someone picked it up. Holding his breath, Steve waited for Nick to speak.

“Hello?” He heard, and that was not Nick. The voice seemed kind of familiar though, so… oh, he realised, Hill! Thanks heavens, someone they actually knew and trusted.

“Hill?” He asked, tentatively. 

“Yes, who is it?”

“Hill, it’s me, Steve”

“What…? Sir, do you know this is a really confidential phone number, right? How did you get it, anyway?”

“Maria, I told you: it’s me, Steve. Steve Stark-Rogers”

Steve heard an exasperated sigh at the other side of the phone, and frowned. Why was Hill acting like that? It was really strange. Clint poked his arm and looked at him, confused.

“What’s up?”

Steve shrugged, not knowing what was happening himself. Maria decided to speak again, and this time she seemed mad.

“Look, Sir, I don’t know in which world you thought it was okay to prank call this number, but this is not funny. Now, this is not something you can joke about, so let me assure you there’s going to be consequences”

“Maria, goddamn it, it’s me!” Steve yelled, terribly frustrated “Can you tell Fury to come to the phone? We’re lost and we don’t know what happened”

There was silence at the other side. For a moment, Steve feared she was going to hang up.

“How can I believe you’re telling me the truth?” She asked. Steve was surprised when he noticed her voice trembling. Still, he answered.

“Well, because… oh, because I know this: you got your arm stuck on a vending machine because your Doritos had stuck inside. I was the only one who saw and helped you out, and I swore to not tell anyone, especially Fury”

Silence, again. Steve didn’t know what to do: for some reason, Maria was not believing his words (why, he didn’t even know), and she was taking her time in answering, just as if she wasn’t sure of her next words, or what she had just heard.

“Oh, dear God…” he heard her whisper. Then, in a much higher tone, she yelled “Nick! Nick, quick, come to the phone!”

Steve waited a few more seconds, until the recognisable voice of Fury came to life.

“Hill, what’s going on? I was occupied with paperwork”

“Trust me sir, you want to take this phone call”

“Alright” Steve heard some mumble, and then the director was speaking to him, finally “Yes?”

“Nick? It’s me, Steve”

A moment of silence (seriously, what was up with that? Steve was quickly growing annoyed by all the silence pauses), and then…

“Oh you motherfucker” he heard him whisper, pure disbelief in his voice “, tell me you’re not joking”

“I am not, Nick. Please, listen to me. We just woke up in the middle of the pacific. The guy we went after brought us to an unknown island in the middle of the pacific. We thought we had won, and that he was done, but then the bunker we were in turned into a maze and the guy knocked us out… we just woke up, and we don’t know how to get out of here. Please, help?”

“Send me your coordinates, now. And I swear, if this is a joke…”

“God, it’s not. Why can’t you people believe me?”

“Stay there” Fury said, ignoring him “, we can be there in a few hours, just… stay there. And don’t call anyone else, understood?”

“Er… yeah, Sir. Sure”

Fury didn’t say anything else, choosing to hang up instead. Steve pocketed the phone and looked at his teammates, who truly looked as confused as him.

“What was that?” Natasha asked.

“Yeah, did something happen?” Sam also asked. Steve sighed, throwing his arms in the air.

“I don’t know! Maria didn’t believe me at first, and neither did Fury! He told me they can be here in a few hours, after I told him what happened, so I guess he finally did believe me”

“Why they didn’t believe you?” Wanda asked. Steve shrugged, not really sure.

“I don’t know. Maybe they weren’t expecting me to call? It doesn’t make sense”

“No, it actually does” Bruce said, suddenly next to him “. Guys, it’s clear we’ve spent some time here. We don’t know exactly how long, but it’s at least a few months. And, if that’s the case, then it’s probably they’d tried to contact us, before. So, us contacting them it’s surprising, if they couldn’t get a connection before. Am I being clear? My head is still pounding”

“Yeah, don’t worry Bruce” Thor said, frowning “. I think we should call the Man of Iron, then. He must be worried, and I’m sure he’ll know what to do”

“Fury told me to not call anyone else for now” Steve said, frowning “, and I have to agree with him on that one. Especially with Tony… we don’t know what has happened, so we gotta be careful, alright? And calling our loved ones it’s not careful”

“Tony is an Avenger, too” Sam pointed out “, so he has to know something, right?”

“Let’s just wait until Fury gets here” Natasha said, agreeing with their leader. Calling Tony sounded tempting, but they all knew it was too risky. 

They all took seat around there, trying to calm down and not freak out too much. Thor was the only one who looked kind of normal, but Steve thought that was normal. He was a God, he was supposed to live a really long life. So, he was going to age slower than the rest of them.Still, how many time had passed? Steve was too afraid to ask, knowing Bruce was already thinking trough it. He was sure Fury was going to tell them, but then again: he was too scared. He thought about Tony and Peter, the two people he loved the most in the world: were they okay? Were they worried, did they know about him calling Fury already?

Nobody really talked in the time they were waiting for their director, but soon enough (maybe four, or five hours since Steve’s call), they saw a Quinjet land in the beach. They all ran towards it, and came in time to see Fury opening the doors and slowly walking out. His expression was one of pure bewilderment, and Steve really wanted to know _why_ , what had happened (at the same time, he was terrified to bring himself to ask). 

“No fucking way…” he whispered “. Just… no fucking way”

“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Steve asked, smiling. That was enough for Fury to snap his attention at him, smiling widely.

“You son of a guy!” He exclaimed and then, to Steve’s surprise, ran the rest of the way and hugged him. Steve was a little bit confused, but hugged him back. When he broke the hug, though, he was a little bit taken back, because Fury looked older. He had more wrinkles, and his beard had grey hairs there and there. He adopted a more serious expression, trying to start comprehending what had happened to him and his teammates. 

“Fury, what happened?”

The director sighed, shaking his head. 

“It’s a long story, Captain. How about I explain it in the Quinjet, with you already safe?”

“But, we have to know what happened inside that place” Natasha objected.

“I’ll send someone, I swear” Nick promised “, and if they disappear too, at least we know where they are. But if someone comes to attack us, I prefer to be away”

“The guy who was keeping us here is dead” Clint said “, we found him. Probably natural death, so maybe no one else is in this island”

“Still, Barton. Time to go”

Steve sighed, but nodded, and with him the rest of the team. They quickly got into the Quinjet, and discovered only Fury had been in there.

“We needed to be discreet with this” the director explained, closing the doors and going to the pilot chair “, the less people who knew about it, the better”

Steve stood by his side in silence, looking as Nick initiated the Quinjet and got them in the air. The Quinjet in itself seemed more advanced, like it had gotten a huge makeover, and Steve tried to prepare for what was coming next. How many time had gone by? Months? A year? Two? Maybe even five? He’d die if that was the case… if five years had passed, then that meant Peter was about twelve: a pre-teenager, already, and not a little boy he could cuddle anymore.

“Why it had to be discreet, Nick?” He finally asked. The director sighed and stood up, making the Quinjet fly in pilot mode.

“What’s the last thing you remember, Captain? What happened in the mission?”

“Well… we were fighting this guy in his bunker, and we thought we had knocked him out. We had win, and we were about to leave, but… it turned out to be a goddamn maze, the bunker. It was full of traps, and one of those got to us. I just remember running, and then black, and then… waking up in a circular room. I felt sore, and my entire body hurt. The rest of the team was also there, all laying in mattress, in kind of a circle. Bucky woke up a couple of minutes after me, and then we woke up the others, got out of that place-“

“Finding the corpse of the guy in the process” Clint chirped in. Steve nodded, and continued the story.

“And then we called you, and Maria picked up. Fury, why did she didn’t believe me at first? What happened?”

“Yeah, why are we looking older?” Sam asked “I mean, I still look good, but others just don’t have the same luck” he gestured towards Bucky, who flipped him off.

“I’m a Super Soldier, you jerk. I’m way better conserved than you”

Steve shook his head at his best friends, asking himself how in hell were those two part of the earth’s mightiest heroes. When he looked at Fury, though, he realised how truly serious he looked.

“It’s a long story, guys. But, I guess you deserve to know”

“Nick, what is it?” Natasha asked, and even she was getting worried.

“You guys… well, you guys disappeared a while ago. No one knew what had happened to you guys: we searched for you, but: nothing. We couldn’t find you. Everybody thought you were dead. All of you, even Thor”

“But I am a God” the Asgardian said. He knew Gods could die, of course, but for a simple midgardian mission? Come on. Fury shrugged.

“You were with them, at the moment. Everybody back on civilisation kind of… lost hope”

“Nick” Steve interrupted him, trying to keep his voice even “For how long have we been gone? Months?” Fury sighed, shaking his head “A year? Two? Please, Nick, tell us”

Nick sighed again, and looked at all of them before answering, eyes boring into Steve’s soul, it seemed.

“It’s been thirteen years, Captain”

“What?” The blond breathed. 

“Sir, no, that’s not possible” Wanda whispered, bringing a hand to rest over her mouth. Fury nodded, sad.

“I’m afraid it is, Miss Maximoff. You guys disappeared thirteen years ago”

“So, Peter…” Steve murmured, shocked and still doubting to believe his director. Fury looked at him again, eyes showing how bad he felt about it all.

“He’s twenty, right now” 

“Holy hell” Buck whispered, having to sit down. Sam rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he looked shaken up, too.

“I don’t get it, how?” Bruce asked. Thor went by Steve’s side, offering support. The shorter of the two couldn’t really talk to show his gratefulness, but he knew Thor knew he appreciated. His kid… his kid was…

“We don’t know what happened, either” Fury said “, you guys just vanished. Nobody could find you, so they declared you all missing in action thirteen years ago. And, five years ago… KIA”

“Killed in action?” Sam asked, shocked “ We’re officially dead?”

“Yeah, Wilson, you all are. We had a ceremony for when you disappeared, and an official funeral, five years ago. We all thought you were dead”

“All?” Steve asked, voice shy and shaky. Fury sighed again and nodded.

“Yeah, Captain. We all did it”

“How did Tony take it?” Natasha asked, fearing for their favourite genius. 

“I wasn’t there to give him the news” the director said “, Rhodey was. We thought he was the better option. He told me… he told me Tony just… he just stared at nothing, like his mind was not processing what had happened. He left shortly after, because Tony asked him to”

“Bad idea” Clint murmured “Tony can do crazy things when he’s alone”

“He asked Rhodey to leave so he could tell Peter alone” Fury said. Steve’s attention snapped back to him.

“How did he take it?”

“He was a kid, Captain. Bad, he took it bad. The first time I saw them after the news broke was a few days after and they were… they were just broken. Maria and I stayed with them for hours, just laying in bed in silence”

“Laying in bed?” Bucky asked, voice shaky, too. Fury nodded, looking sorry for all of them.

“It’s where they were. They were just in bed for… weeks. Couldn’t find the strength to get out of there. But, they finally did, after a month. They both attended the ceremony, and prepared the funerals, five years ago, when Peter was fifteen”

“Are they okay?” Steve asked, still in shock. He knew he was crying, but honestly: he didn’t care.

“They are. I saw them a couple of days ago, had dinner with them” Fury said, clapping his shoulder “. They’re okay, Steve, don’t worry. Peter is quite the young man”

Steve nodded, not knowing how to process everything. He had told his husband and his son he was going to be away for two weeks. _Two weeks_ , not thirteen fucking years. They thought he was dead, Peter grew up thinking one of his parents was dead and Tony… Tony had to take on the role of a single father. Well, hold on: was he still single? Steve couldn’t ever hold against Tony a new found love -couldn’t, wouldn’t, and he definitely didn’t want to-, and he knew how amazing his husband was. Tony just charmed everyone he met, so… Steve could imagine someone falling in love with him, healing his wounds, being there for him and for Peter. It hurt, as much as it felt it okay, to some extent. 

“It’s better if you guys rest for a while, now” Fury said, smiling sympathetically at them “. We’ll be in New York in a couple of hours. You can get more answers then”

They all nodded, too in shock, and Fury took a seat in the pilot’s place, again. 

Steve couldn’t just wrap his head around the new information he had just learned. Sure, he thought some time had passed. And, it made sense for the world to think they were, at least, missing. But, thirteen years? They were gone for thirteen years? First of all, how in hell had that guy managed to keep them asleep for that long, and alive? 

And… he didn’t even want to think about how things must’ve changed. His son was twenty years old, for fuck’s shake. The last time Steve had saw him, Peter was an adorable and innocent kid, barely seven years old. He was a man, now. Young, but a man. And Steve… he had just missed _everything_. 

Suddenly, he remembered something and he pocketed his chest, relieved when he found what he was looking for. He put it out of his jacket and looked at it: the drawing Peter had given to him just moments before he had left their home. He looked at the three figures, and at the messy writing of his son, reading with adoration: _I love you, Papa! And I’m gonna miss you, see you soon! Peter._

‘I failed you, Peter’ he thought, barely managing to contain his tears ‘, I failed you, and I left you alone. You and your Dad, goddamn it’

He kept looking at the picture for the rest of the trip. He knew his teammates were worrying about him, but he didn’t need that. They had missed thirteen years of their lives, too, so Steve didn’t needed, nor wanted, pity. 

“We’re here” Fury finally announced. Steve saved the drawing and followed Fury outside. They were in some lonely place, deserted of any worker or even janitors.

“Fury, where are we?” Bucky asked.

“We’re in a non-active wing. For now, only Hill and I know you’re actually alive. And I’m sure you don’t want your loved ones finding out about it thanks to external people”

“Yeah, you’re right” Steve sighed “. Fury, please, can you take me to my family? I have to see them, please”

“I will, Steve, but please we need you checked out, all of you. You can also have a shower and rest for a bit, alright? And when you’re in a better state, then we’ll take you whenever you want”

Steve wanted to protest, but he felt too tired to do so. Fury told them Hill had told Helen Cho about the news, so she was waiting for them to be checked up in the medical bay. The director had made sure it was deserted of all other people, and Steve thought he should feel grateful, but he was still numb.

Seeing Helen Cho helped him, though. She was really emotional, at their greeting, hugging them and telling them she had missed them. It was nice, just like when they had reunited with Fury. Hill also came to say hi, and she was just like Cho, an emotional mess. Still, both of them were at the top of their game, explaining most recent events on Earth (avoiding topics that were too personal), and treating them, Hill and Fury helping Cho. When they were done, they gave them time to shower and change into nicer clothes.

Steve took a long shower, shaving off the dirt and exhaustion. He shaved his beard and carefully cut his own hair, until he looked more like himself.He reunited with the rest of his teammates on the living room, and they looked dead tired. Fury came into the room, smiling gently at them.

“Get some sleep, and tomorrow we’ll take you wherever you want, alright?”

“But, Fury-“ Steve tried to protest. The super spy raised his hand, stopping the captain. 

“Steve, trust me, you need the rest. If you guys want to search for more information, you have the TV. There’s a keyboard on the table, just type whatever you want. I’ll see you all tomorrow, and guys: I’m really, really happy to see you. Truly”

“Thank you, Nick” the Captain said, smiling genuinely “. Where are the rooms?”

“End of the hallway, Captain. Good night”

“Good night” everyone said. The moment Fury was out of the room, Steve went towards the sofas, and sat in front of the keyboard.

“Stevie?” Bucky asked, sitting next to his best friend “ What are you doing?”

“If Fury doesn’t want me to see my son and husband today in person, then that’s fine” he said “, but I’m searching something about them, at least. I _have_ to know how they are, Buck. Not knowing it’s killing me”

“I’m with you, Cap” Clint said, also sitting down. The rest of the Avengers also sat down, and they put on the TV.

“Okay, what do we search first?” Sam asked.

“Something about Tony or Peter, right?” Wanda asked “Maybe related with us disappearing? So we know what happened then”

“Good idea, Wanda” Bruce smiled. Steve wrote it down on the search bar and then clicked. Quickly, thousands of websites appeared. Steve read the first one and clicked on it.

“Tony Stark’s letter to the people?” Thor read, confused “For what?”

“Let’s see” the Captain said. The website had a picture that was in itself an statement. Clint cleared his throat and proceeded to read.

_Dear World,_

_First of all, I’d like to thank you for your your support and respect. In these past weeks you’ve all been nothing but respectful towards me and Peter, and I’m deeply and utterly grateful. I want to say that, even when I haven’t got through all of your messages yet -I plan on doing it, FYI-, I’m also grateful for each and everyone of them. It warms my heart to read all of your letters, and to know we’re all together in our sorrow. It’s also heartbreakingly beautiful to look at the Tower’s reception, full as it is with your messages of love, and stuffed animals, candles, and everything you guys could think of._

_I also want to thank you all in the name of the Avengers that went missing. I say thank you in their name to every one of you who has prayed or sent positive energy towards them, who has stopped in their usual lives to just think about them. Thank you._

_As for me and my family, we are broken, right now, but it’s something you guys already know. We’re broken in grief, and we’ll be for some time. We’ve just lost the major part of our little family, and Peter and I have lost someone really important, and close to our hearts. We know Steve, as the rest of our family, will always stay in our hearts and mind, but it’s a dark time for us, and we ask for you to keep respecting us in a time this hard. Please don’t ask my son about his Father, because Peter is a little kid, and it’s hard enough for him already to have to constantly talk about it._

_Thank you again, for everything. And Pepper, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this. The PR team can understand I needed to thank all of this support, though._

_Until next time,_

 

_Tony Stark-Rogers’_

 

Clint stopped reading with shaky voice. Steve sighed and rubbed his face, trying to not cry at Tony’s message. He tried to stop himself from imagining his husband writing the message, maybe in their bed, with Peter asleep right beside him, swallowing his tears. 

Bruce got closer to him and kept searching for websites himself.

“Here it talks about the disappearance and also the funerals from five years ago, I think”

“Click on it” Natasha said. Bruce did as told. It talked about their disappearance, how it had been announced to the world and the reactions. All of them were shocked by everything that had happened, from them trending in every social media to the thousands of messages and gifts at the entrance of the Tower. 

They also talked about the ceremony, the one they did to pray for their souls. They had put images there, and it was the first time Steve saw his husband, since the day he left. Tony was dressed in a dark suit, shades over his eyes and being his collected and calmed self. Steve could see beyond that, though. He saw how his hands were tightly clasped together, he saw how actually tense his figure was.

The next photo actually broke his heart. It was of his own ceremony, and it showed his husband and son. Peter was in Tony’s arms, hiding his head on his Dad’s shoulder, and Tony hiding his on his son’s curls. Still, even when he couldn’t totally see the faces of his boys, he saw how broken they were by his disappearance, and it totally broke him.

“Steve…” Sam said, trying to be gentle “Dude, there’s more. It talks about when we were declared killed in action, and… who knows, maybe there’s a pic of Peter and Tony then. Are you ready?”

Steve tried to think rationally. Was he ready to see his son all grown up? Peter was around fifteen when they were declared KIA, so seeing him was going to be shocking. Plus, he had only grown since that funeral, given the fact that he was twenty, now. Truth is: the Captain was not ready at all. But…

“I have to see him. I don’t know if I’m ready, but he’s my son. I have to see him”

“Alright” Sam said, still smiling gently at him. He nodded towards Bruce, and the scientist kept scrolling down. It talked about how they were declared killed in action eight years after their disappearance, after literally thousands of searches without success. The ceremony, one for everyone this time, had been held at Central Park, even when all around the world people had done their own. 

Everyone could attend the funeral, and it shocked them, once again, to see how many people were still aching for their loss. The park was literally packed, in what had turned into a historical day for the Nation. And then, just bellow that photo… were Tony and Peter.

Steve forgot how to breath, for a moment. His son was so grown up: a teenager, a young man. He was standing next to his Dad, Tony’s arm thrown over his shoulder. Both of them had a sad expression on their faces, tears on their cheeks, but Steve thought they were the most beautiful things he had ever saw. 

His husband was just getting better as the years went by. He had more grey hairs, and wrinkles, just like they had, but he was aging like fine wine. Dressed in a black suit, and without his shades, Tony looked beautiful.

Peter was also gorgeous. He was almost as tall as Tony in that picture. His eyes were as Bambi-like as Steve remembered, and his hair was much less wild than when he was a kid, but the blond could still see the soft waves and the curls at the edges. His features were more sharp, more handsome than just cute. Peter was… Peter was his _son,_ and he was the most precious thing the Captain had ever saw.

“He’s gorgeous” he whispered. 

“He’s so grown up” Bruce whispered, too. The other members of the team were pretty speechless, at the sight of Peter. Sure, seeing Tony was shocking, too, but he had been already an adult, when they had disappeared. Peter’d been a child. Sam stole the keyboard from Bruce and went to Youtube.

“We’ll find more things here” he said “, interviews, or just news about them. Trust me: it’s like TV, but better”

Steve nodded, giving his consent, and then Sam started typing.

“What are you searching for?” Bucky asked.

“Er… I was gonna search for Peter, if it’s okay with Cap” Steve nodded almost absently, and Sam tried to smile gently at him “. Alright, Peter it is”

He typed ‘Peter Stark’ and soon enough thousands and thousands of videos popped out.

“‘Peter Stark being a mood for three minutes straight’” Clint read “‘Peter Stark being iconic for ten minutes straight’, ‘Peter Stark being a meme for seven minutes straight’. What in the fuck is a meme?”

“I have no idea” Natasha said, angry when she realised she was so uninformed, now. 

“‘Peter Stark: the role model this generation needed’” Bruce read, beside them “Click on that one, it’s the less… strange”

“Yeah, good idea. Plus, it’s from literally last week” Sam sighed, not understanding the title of any of the previous videos. It seemed to be some video made by a news channel, maybe. There was a young girl talking, so: news, they guessed. Steve put all of his attention on it. First, because he already felt proud of Peter, with that title. Second, because that video was going to give him information about his kid, something he craved. 

_‘When we think about a role model, we think of people that we should look up to, people who teaches us some good examples of behaviour and life lessons’_ the girl was saying _‘, and, even when, sometimes, the role models aren’t exactly perfect, every once in a while we get one that is what the generation truly needs. What’s up guys, it’s your girl Nikita, and today I’m here to talk to you guys why Peter Starkis the role model this generation needed. So, for those who don’t know who Peter Stark is: prepare to have a crush on him. It’s pretty much inevitable. And, just a quick FYI: Peter Stark is a genius slash activist slash superhero -yeah, guys, you heard that right- slash kind of a model slash… well, a lot of things, guys. He’s, like, the perfect guy”_

“Did she say superhero?” Wanda asked. The rest of the gang nodded, confused. 

_“Peter is the son of Tony and Steve Stark-Rogers”_ Nikita kept saying _“, and was born August 10th of twenty years ago. Sadly, his Father, Steve Stark-Rogers, passed away when Peter was only seven years old. He’s also just finished his studies at MIT, and is already preparing his PhDs! Impressive, huh? Now that you, kind of, know who he is: let’s start with ten reasons why Peter Stark is the role model this generation needed”_

“He already finished his studies?” Sam asked, impressed “But he’s a baby!”

“Tony also finished them really, really young” Bruce said “, so I kind of expected it”

“Let her talk” Steve asked. The team shut up, going back to the video.

_“Number one: he shows it’s okay to show emotions. Sadly, a lot of people think it’s cooler if they mask them, if they just don’t pretend they’re not there. Peter decided he was going to show how he felt because, quote ‘It’s okay to show how to feel. It’s okay to cry if you want to, it’s okay to laugh: it’s fine. What it’s not okay is to try you feel a different way in front of others. If you show your emotions and people turn away or simply don’t get it: it’s okay, you don’t need people like that in your life. Over everything, you have to be comfortable with your own self, and if that means you’re going to cry in public, well, then it’s nobody’s business’. I can say amen to that, bro”_

“Amen” Steve muttered, smiling timidly.

“Peter seems to be wise” Wanda said, smiling to the Captain. Steve nodded, without taking his eyes off of the TV. Sam clicked play again.

_“Number two: he’s a feminist! Peter has been fighting for equality since he was in high school, and even before! His Dad, Tony Stark, told E!News that Peter once went home with a split lip for getting into a fight with someone who said girls couldn’t be leaders of a Decathlon team. More recently, he turned heads around in a conference in Singapore. He was there as a part of a young geniuses program, giving talks and such. He was paired with a few other colleagues, and things were going pretty smoothly, when, in one interview he was doing with Bella Bianchi, the Italian said how she was only getting questions about style, about how she managed to be stylish yet be an intellectual. Peter openly called that ‘bullshit’, and whispered something in her ear. Next interview, all of the sexist questions were answered by him! When someone asked Bella about her outfit -stupid question, we know- Peter started talking about what he was wearing! And, when someone asked him about his next project, Bella answered. She then said in a interview that Peter had asked her to change their questions, in a way to make everyone realise how stupid and wrong was to ask things so far away from the subject of the conference. Reason number three: he’s a puppy lover!”_

The girl went on and on, and the team learned how Peter and Tony had adopted a pup a few years before, named Tessa, how Peter was already working with his father while _also_ working on numerous foundations that supported a lot of great causes. They learned how he openly talked about sexuality, about issues that mattered in the world, how he said he was bullied when he was in high school, how he decided that just because someone didn’t like him he wasn’t going to change. Steve felt his heart growing in pride each second, because his son was just… perfect. Peter was the most noble man he could’ve imagined, and he knew Tony was behind that quite a lot. Finally, they got to the last two points, and number nine shook Steve’s world.

_“Number nine: getting into the family’s business! And, no, we’re not talking about Peter already working for SI. We’re talking about, you maybe guessed, Spiderman! Yeah, people, Peter, just like his Dad and his late Father, and family, is a superhero! He became one when he was only fourteen, and kept it a secret from his Dad for a whole year. He recalls his Dad finding out about it as the ‘worst discussion I had with my Dad, or with anyone, for that matter. My Dad and I are super close; he’s my best friend, basically, but we really, really got mad at each other that day’. He said his Dad didn’t want him to become a superhero, because they had already lost too many people, but he ultimately let Peter be Spiderman, knowing it was a part of Peter’s soul, already. He helped him and trained him, and Peter came out as Spiderman just last year. He’s part of the new team of Avengers, who just a month ago got another member. But we’ll talk more about that in other video”_

Sam paused the video for a moment. The stunned silence said enough, because everybody was kind of freaking out. Peter, a what? A super-what? 

“My son is… what?” Steve weakly asked. His family looked at him trying to see if he was in the verge of a break down which, pretty much, he was “He’s a superhero?”

“An Avenger, too, it seems” Natasha said “. And since he was fourteen, Dear God”

“He managed to keep that a secret for a year, the punk. Wonder how he kept it from Tony”

“Who knows, Buck. But, he… do you guys think it’s because of me? Because of the serum?”

“We can always ask him, when we see him again, Steve” Bruce said, smiling sweetly at the Captain. Steve sighed, nodding. 

“I’m glad Tony kept him out of the team for a while, though. I don’t like the fact that he’s in there in the first place, but… at least he was over age when it happened. Sam, play the video, please. I want to finish it”

Sam nodded, trying to see if Steve was truly ready. But, the blond seemed so, so he obliged.

_“Last, number ten: He openly talks about the biggest lost of his life, when he lost his Father, at only seven years of age”_

“What?” The blond whispered. Nikita kept talking.

_“While other people just shut up about losses, and we get it, Peter decided to use his to not only show strength, but also to give a more positive light to the traumatising fact of losing a parent. He explained how hard it was losing him, and how he got over it and decided to live with it in this interview, given just a couple of months ago”_

“Oh God, I’m going to see him” Steve muttered. Sam went to pause the video to give him more time, but the blond almost killed him with his eyes, so the Falcon stopped his hand just in time. On screen appeared Peter in what seemed the usual room of interviews. He was dressed in some formal black jeans and a shirt with some weird pattern on, the sleeves cutting mid-bicep. It was clear to everyone that the Peter on screen was already a young man: from his face to his eyes, to, well, everything: Peter had grown up, and he was already twenty. Steve had to blink quick to not cry “. Oh, baby boy…”

Peter seemed to have been asked a question, and he cleared his throat before answering.

_“No, yeah, I can talk about it. It’s been thirteen years since he passed away, yah know? It’s okay. It’s healthy, I think. When my Dad gave me the news… well, I’m not gonna lie, it’s all a bit blurry. I was just seven, so things are messy in my head. I just remember my Aunt Pepper picking me up from school that day, and then my Dad in the living room. He told me Papa was not gonna come home, and why, and I just remember crying and telling my Dad how much I hated my Papa for it, and then I remember… I don’t know, being in bed a lot, crying, with my Dad by my side. I remember the ceremony a little bit, but not much. I was mostly crying on my Dad’s shoulder, anyways”_

_“You hated your Father?”_ The interviewer asked, surprised. The team were surprised, too, and Steve just felt his heart breaking. His son hated him? He didn’t want to leave! He didn’t even know he had! Peter ran a hand trough his hair, getting one rebel curl behind his ear. 

_“Oh yeah, I did. I mean, it wasn’t real hate hate, you know? I was in shock, in denial. I didn’t know what was happening, and to me Steve was not coming home, that’s all. He was leaving us behind, so it made sense to hate him. I really didn’t, not to all extents, but that’s what I told my Dad for… I don’t know, six months, I think”_

_“Wow. Six months?”_

_“Yeah”_

_“And from that moment you accepted it?”_

_“I mean, not really. That’s what happens when you loose someone that close and important to you at such a young age, you know? It doesn’t stop: you don’t stop feeling like something is missing, ever. It gets harder, with the years. I mean, when I was nine I hated with all of my heart being his son, you know? I wanted to be another kid”_

_“Why?”_

_“Well, because it’s hard being the son of a legend. Even more so if that legend is dead, you know? My father was dead and literally everyone on Earth was trying to see if I was like him, or telling me I_ should _be like him. It was way too much pressure for a nine year old”_

_“Right. How did it went away?”_

_“Thanks to my Dad, actually. One day I was doing homework on the kitchen table while he was making some dinner for us, and I remember telling him, so casually, honestly, that I hated being Steve’s son. And he just… he looked so heartbroken, it broke my own heart. He then talked to me about why people were doing it, you know? We had this talk and he told me it was okay if I decided I didn’t want to be like my Pops, but it was also okay if I accepted who my Papa was, and if I decided to live up to his legacy. Not as a superhero, that’s something I didn’t truly choose for myself, but you know, as a good man. As someone who only wants the good for the world”_

_“That sounds nice”_

_“Yeah, it does. Since that night I never thought I hated my Papa, anymore. My Dad made me realise how much he meant to me, and from that moment on I decided to turn that tragedy into something positive, as crazy as it sounds. I picked on drawing again, and I still do it, and I love it. I started charity projects that were inspired by my Pops: things that I can do, and honestly, should do. All of that without forgetting my Father, or my family, and doing everything in their honour. This way, it’s like they’re here, with us, a little bit more”_

The girl kept talking then, and shortly after, she ended the video, but none of the team were really seeing the video anymore. All of them were touched by Peter’s words, Steve the most. It was a lot to discover, but it felt good to know his son didn’t hate him anymore, that he did all of those things for him. The next video started playing, something called “IronDad and SpiderSon: cutest moments” and they just let it on, without even realise it. Soon, though, Tony’s voice startled them. Steve turned his head fast to the TV, where Tony was. He was looking good: better than Steve could’ve imagined. The date on the left top corner showed it was a video from a year before. 

“So, Mister Stark, your son is turning twenty in a few months”

“Ugh, I know. He keeps telling me”

The interviewer laughed a little bit, but kept talking.

“Well, it’s a pretty big number”

“It is, in fact”

“What do you think about it?”

“My son’s birthday? Well, I think it’s a gift we’re enjoying something like that. With everything that has been going on: it’s a pleasure, truly”

“Any plans?”

“Yeah, but I’m keeping them a surprise even from him, so: no telling, sorry”

“Okay, okay. But what can you tell us about Peter?”

“About Peter? Well, he’s in London right now, doing some conferences. That kid is going places, I’m telling yah. I don’t know, he… he’s just my kid, you know? He’s everything I could’ve asked for, and he really is kind of my closest friend, which I don’t know if it sounds lame or cool: who knows. But, Peter he… he’s amazing. And just… him growing up and turning into the man he’s turning into, I feel so proud. And I know his Father would feel proud, too, you know. I’d kill for my husband to see our son right now, but I know it’s not possible, so… I just hope he’s somehow seeing how amazing Peter turned out to be. I mean, it’s thanks to his genes, that’s what I’m positive of-“

“Stop the video” Steve said “, please”

Sam did as asked, looking worriedly at Steve. He got up and started to leave, not even looking back at his teammates.

“Punk, you good?”

The blond sighed, running a hand trough his hair.

“I’m sorry, this is too much. I can’t do this anymore”

“It’s okay, Steve” Natasha said “, let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow is a big day”

Steve sighed. Yeah. Tomorrow was going to be a huge day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii!
> 
> So, hope you liked it. There'll be one more part to this story, idk when I'll upload it, yet. I still have to finish it.
> 
> Okay, so I kind of want to explain myself. I know I could've done it differently, but at the same time: this is kind of logic, for me. Fury wanted them to rest, to make sure they're fine, and we're living in the social media era. It made sense for Steve to search for info about his family, and for him to find it like that. Dunno, it's something I'd never really done, and it seemed interesting, haha. Hope you guys liked it.
> 
> PLEASE leave comments and kudos, if you can or like, and I'll read you guys soon! Bye!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and the others want to go back to their family
> 
> But, how would Tony and Peter react to such news?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I decided to be super very nice and upload this today! I finished, so that's cool haha
> 
> Alsom if you haven't yet, check out my other story!

“Rise and shine, motherfuckers!”

Steve groaned, turning around in the bed. His head was still hurting, and he felt more tired than he usually did. He wondered why, but quickly answered his own question: he had spent the last thirteen years under a coma, or whatever that was, so his muscles were doomed to be, at least, in some pain. Plus, he was older, so it made sense. Fury’s strong voice while he woke them up was not helping, either.

“Dear God, Nick, don’t yell” Natasha said, outside of his room. The Captain sighed and got up, throwing a sweatshirt on and opening his door. Fury was about to knock, a really annoyed Natasha behind him, arms crossed above her chest.

“Steve, good morning. Nick here was going to wake you up”

“Don’t worry, your yelling already did” the blond smiled, stepping out of his room. The rest of his teammates were doing the same, in different states os sleepiness.

“What hour is it? Jeez” Clint complained. Fury laughed at their faces, the asshole, and waited until all of them were sitting around in the living room.

“It’s actually almost five p.m. You’ve been sleeping for quite the time, Avengers”

“We got in bed pretty late” Bruce whispered. Fury looked at him, raising an eyebrow. At the shrug of the scientist, he looked at Steve, demanding an answer out of him. The blond sighed, knowing the director was not going to like his words.

“I know you wanted us to wait until today, but I had to know more about my boys. So, we searched for them on the TV”

Fury sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He should’ve expected it, and it was his own fault, for having the TV with internet access. He could understand Steve’s motives -of course he could-, but it was not what he’d wanted.

“I should’ve expected this, especially from you. Are you happy with what you’ve found?”

“We didn’t find that much” Steve said.

“Oh, how so?”

“I… it was too hard for me. We had to stop”

“I see. You know, Steve, this is why I didn’t want you to look at things. The world has changed: your husband and son have changed. For you to find out via Internet… can be quite shocking. What did you see?”

“A video about why Peter is the role model the generation needs” Natasha said, answering for Steve. Fury snickered under his breath.

“Oh my God, I’ve seen that video, too. Tony called me to watch it with him and Peter to make fun of junior. He was blushing the entire time”

“Well, then you know what we know, now” Steve said “. Fury, a superhero at fourteen?”

“Rogers, look, that was something no one saw coming. And, when Tony found out about it: it wasn’t pretty, at all. Peter and him had a huge argument, and they were in bad terms for a little while. Tony wanted to stop Peter from being a vigilante, and Peter wanted Tony to see he was meant to be Spiderman. At the end, Tony understood Spiderman was a part of Peter’s being, and he accepted it. With conditions and rules, sure, but he did”

“And the Avenger part?” Bruce asked.

“Look, the kid is… he’s good. So, so good” Fury said, sighing “. Tony and I talked, and neither of us liked the idea of Peter being an Avenger, but… we need him. He’s powerful, Steve”

“How powerful are we talking about?” Bruce asked.

“Well, he… we think he may be stronger than the Super Soldiers. So, super strength, enhanced abilities, super speed, can stick to things, he has a weird spidey sense… list goes on. And he still can develop even more. Plus, he has Tony’s brains. He’s seriously smart, and” he added, looking at Steve “, he has your strategy skills. It still surprises me how quickly he can just get a plan and get it to work. As much as Tony and I hated the idea, the world needed Peter”

Steve sighed, still not liking the idea, but understanding Fury’s point.

“Okay. I don’t like this, but okay, Nick”

Fury nodded towards him, smiling gently, trying to calm him down a bit. Then, he rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it a bit.

“Captain, I know this is hard. And, I’m sorry. I’m sure I can’t even begin to understand what you’re going trough. What you’re all going trough” he said, looking at everyone in the room “. However… may I ask something important?”

“Sure, Nick”

“Well, if you guys are ready already… would you like to go back to the Tower?”

Steve’s head snapped up to look at the director. Fury was smiling from ear to ear, a spark of joy in his eyes. The blond could feel his teammates getting excited at the idea of meeting Tony and Peter again, and he felt himself almost combusting at the sole idea of hugging his husband and their son, again.

“Yes” he immediately said “Please, yes”

Fury nodded, smiling wider -how, Steve didn’t even know- and started to walk out of there. The team followed him like little ducks follow their mom, and Steve knew it’d been a funny image to look out from the outside. However, he didn’t care about how funny it could look. He was seeing Tony and Peter again! And sure, to him it had been… well, not even two weeks (“ _The mission is not going to be that long, only a couple of weeks, right?_ ”), but for his family it had been _thirteen years_. And he was starting to feel like it had been since forever, too. Especially after seeing his son and husband on Youtube, seeing how grown up Peter was and how well age was suiting Tony. They all followed Fury, who made them change into something more appropriate and then took them to one van, so they could all fit in. Steve took shotgun, wanting to, maybe, calm down a little bit. Also, the moment he sat, he remembered he still had to not something crucial. So, not even two minutes into the ride, he cleared his throat, gaining Fury’s attention. The spy only looked at him sideway, but that was enough confirmation to Steve: he had his attention.

“Nick, I just had to ask… is Tony remarried? Like, did he met someone after I disappeared?”

“Would you be okay if I told you it happened?”

“I… yes. Even when I don’t feel like it, I was gone for thirteen years, Nick. And Tony was left alone, and he had to raise our son. It wouldn’t be fair for me to expect him to just… I don’t know, not try to find happiness again. I mean, I’d love to be with him again, but I’ll respect if he has someone else. Now… does he?”

The car was unusually silent, and Steve knew the rest of his teammates were listening to the conversation. He couldn’t blame them: it was going to be weird if they showed up and Tony was with a new husband, or something like that. Weird, and heartbreaking. Fury sighed then, and shook his head.

“Tony never remarried. He didn’t even try. Although, Captain, we all tried to get him back in the market, you know? I tried to talk to him, get him in some blind dates, or something like that. Even Peter has told him to try and date somebody”

“Has he?”

“Tony’s his Dad, Captain. And he has given everything for Peter, to raise him and love him as best as he could. Peter is really grateful, and just wants Tony to be happy. And… that had to be without you. At least until yesterday, when you guys suddenly reappeared”

“Do you think Tony will take me back?” He asked, really scared of the answer. Sure, he hadn’t done anything bad, but… he had left, and that was a fact. He hadn’t meant to, he hadn’t wanted to, but… he had left. Fury shot a quick look at him, smiling gently. It was kind of freaking him out, all that Fury smiling.

“Captain, I can’t say for sure, because no one truly knows what goes trough that mind. Maybe Peter, but he has a mind that sometimes is even worse. He’s unpredictable, the youngster he is… that said, I think Tony will be the happiest man in the world once he finds out about you being alive. He has missed you so, so much”

Steve smiled, and looked at his lap, trying to hide his blushing. God, he couldn’t wait to hug his husband again. And, no matter how many years had gone by: his love for the engineer was still there, burning him from inside out.

They arrived at the Tower almost an hour later, and, just like the day before, Fury took them to the most isolated part of the complex. The team didn’t even complain, choosing to get into the elevator. However, they didn’t go into the normal one, the one who would open inside the penthouse already. Fury chose to ride the one the employees did. 

“Why are we in this elevator?” Clint asked, kind of annoyed.

“Because it’s going to be a shock, seeing you here, and alive” Fury tried to explain “, so let’s not scare the live out of the habitants of this Tower, alright?”

The team sighed, but nodded. Steve looked at the ceiling, and briefly thought about talking to JARVIS. He quickly decided not to, because, as much as he had missed the AI too, he knew he’d alert Tony. And the last thing they needed was the engineer freaking out before time. Just a couple of floors below the Penthouse, however, Fury cursed and stopped the elevator.

“Any problems, Nick?” Steve asked, worried. He was so close to his family: he had to go with them. 

“Yeah, everything okay. It’s just, I have to go somewhere. Can you get by by your own?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I think we got it from here”

“Alright. I’ll come by once I’m done. Hopefully everything will be alright by then. See you guys later”

The team nodded, and looked as Fury left the elevator. They rode silently until they were in the Penthouse, and then gathered before the door. Steve, naturally, ended up in front of the little group.

“So I just… knock?” He asked, shy. Sam scoffed, and Bucky rolled his eyes, _hard_.

“That’s the plan, yeah” he said. Thor clapped a hand on the Captain’s shoulder.

“My friend, I think knocking on the door is the most effective way for someone to notice you. So, if you will”

“Of course, I’m just… I’m nervous”

“And that’s normal” Natasha said “, but it’s better if you do it already. Believe me, everything will be fine”

Steve sighed, and then nodded. He knocked softly on the door, and they immediately heard the barfs of some dog -Tessa, Steve reminded himself-, and some foot steps.

“Peter, go to answer the door!” They heard, and Steve’s heart stopped when he realised that was his husband’s voice “Tessa, stop it already!”

“Dad, just pet her and let her do. She’s happy when she barfs: it gives her peace”

“Oh, that’s nice, yeah. Who gives _me_ peace?”

“Oh, dear father, that’s the most complicated question a soul should ask”

“That’s nice, kid. Is it Shakespeare?”

“Nah, it’s Peter’s”

“Better yet. Can you please open the goddamn door?”

“Okay, Jesus, I’m going. Coming, sorry for making you wait!”

Steve suddenly remembered to breathe. The banter between Peter and Tony had been quite interesting, and the teenager had reminded him of his husband almost way too much. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he had just heard his husband talking to, well, himself. But then, the door opened, and… Peter was there.

He was wearing some comfy clothes: sweat pants and a MIT sweatshirt. His hair was messy, yet stylish -something Steve knew had come from Tony- and his posture was relaxed. However, the moment he saw them, he tensed. His eyes went almost comically big and he opened his mouth, surprised. He looked at all of them, and then closed his mouth and, without even taking his eyes off them, yelled:

 

Peter was actually having a good day. He had went for a walk with Ned and Michelle in the morning, talking about their time in high-school, their colleges: stuff like that. Michelle had went to Columbia, and Ned MIT, but he had gone to visit his parents because his cousin was getting married. As for Peter, he was done with MIT. And, sure, some may think he was way too young to just end college already. And, yeah, he kind of was. But, he wanted to be in NY: he wanted to help the people from there, he wanted to start working already and, most importantly: he didn’t want his father alone. He had had a pretty normal high-school life, but college was different. With him coming out as Spiderman -totally not an accident, of course-, his private life was next to non-existent. So, it made sense to finish his degree and move back to NY. Plus, he was working on his doctorates (yes, plural, sue him. His Dad had an influence on him way too big), and he was doing it with the company of some of the best intellectuals in the world! And he had his father there, too, which was pretty awesome. He was happy with his decisions.

That doesn’t mean he wasn’t stressing himself out, of course. It was almost in his nature, or at least his Dad told him so. _You literally stress for everything, Peter. That’s not healthy_. Of course, Peter could’ve decided to stop, or slow it down. Sure, he could’ve. 

Thing is: he didn’t want to. He was happy like that, he was content with how things were. Sure, he had a lot of work: between his academic life, his work at SI -which he wouldn’t give up for the world-, his charity projects and with Spiderman… he didn’t know how he managed to even breathe, sometimes. But, boy… did he love it. Something that had mainly started in honour of his Dad had become his passion -other than science, Spiderman, and taking pics, of course-. Peter was happy with his life.

Plus, he was having a good day _off._ The plan was to enjoy, to not do anything: to just… well, relax. Of course, because he was _Peter,_ he didn’t do that. After his lunch with his best friends, he went back to the Penthouse and started reading, notebook beside his physics book and pencil case in front of him. When his Dad had walked in, around four p.m, he had rolled his eyes at Peter. 

Deciding to annoy his only child, he had taken a seat just next to him, Tessa quickly laying between them. Tony scratched her head absently, and Peter tried not to smile: he knew Tony had had his doubts when they had adopted Tessa, but now he adored her. 

“You know, kid, you told me yesterday this was your day off”

“It is” Peter mumbled, writing something down in his notebook. 

“Well, then that looks terrifyingly like work”

“It’s not work: it’s stuff I’m looking at for my PhD”

“That’s work”

“It’s not. It’s fun!” He exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. His Dad groaned, looking at him with a mix of pure desperation and resignation written all over his face.

“I had a slightly different idea than you had with the concept of fun, when I was your age”

“That’s only because you’re old, Dad”

“Oh my God, we have a comedian. Ha, ha”

Peter smiled at him innocently, and then went back to the book, starting to pet Tessa, too, and the dog stayed quiet, too happy to move.

“I know you want me to do something more fun, but Michelle had to go to visit her grandma, and Ned has this family wedding… this sounded like a good plan to spend the evening”

“I mean, it’s not bad, but you should relax. Maybe we can do something together, like watch a movie or something. What do you say?”

“It sounds really good, actually” Peter admitted.

“See? I have the best ideas”

Peter rolled his eyes, but let his Dad put on some old movie they both loved. They ended up seeing one of Steve’s favourite, both of them knowing the dialogue by heart. Still, even when they had memorised the movie, they loved to watch it: it reminded them of Steve and, in a certain way, it helped them to be closer to the blond. When the movie was done, though, the peace they were feeling was broken by the doorbell ringing. It was weird for someone to knock: a few people went to their personal home, and really, really few did so without them knowing before hand. So it was weird… still, Tony told Peter to open the door, and when he did…

 

“Hey, Dad, remember last week’s mission, when I accidentally breathed that gas?” Peter yelled to the inside of the house, without taking his eyes off of them.

“Yeah?” Tony’s voice came from inside, him nowhere to be seen. 

“Well, I think it affected me more than we initially thought…”

There was silence then. Peter kept looking at them, barely blinking, at Steve and the rest of the team were in too much shock to even say something. And then…

“What in the actual the fuck, Peter?” Tony said, exasperated. Yeah, he remembered the mission, and how mad he was when he realised his son was being reckless, _again_. But, Stephen had told him Peter was more than fine, and doctor Cho had just confirmed the former doctor’s words, so…he went to the door, and then stopped dead in his track.

Steve opened his mouth at the sight of his husband. Tony was beautiful, dressed in some jeans and a sweater, looking comfy. His hair was just like Peter’s, a little bit messy with his unruly curls, but still stylish. He had a look of pure shock on his face, but it quickly changed. His features hardened, and he seemed… mad? Oh no.

“Kid, get behind me, now” he said, voice serious and no leaving room for questions. 

“But, Dad-“

“Peter, now”

Peter finally complied, and went to stand behind his father. Tony still looked tense, but he was a little bit calmer, having his son right behind him, kind of safe. He looked at the group in front of them: ghosts. His husband was there, looking even more beautiful than Tony remembered. His blond hair, his sparkling blue eyes, his body, his whole being. His Steve. 

He had to remind himself there was other people, and they looked like the team that had disappeared, all those years ago. They were all there, staring at him. 

Tony felt his whole self shaking, and his legs felt like jello. Still, he knew he had to hold it together for Peter’s shake. His son was there, and he had to protect him. 

“I don’t know who you are” he said, feeling proud of himself for being able to talk without crying “, but this is a new level of fucked up”

“Tony” Steve -no, scratch that, fake Steve-, said, voice shaking and sincerity in it “, Tony, sweetheart, it’s us. We’re not fake, it’s us, truly”

“Sir, my husband died thirteen years ago. I don’t know who you’re pretending to be, nor how you managed to look like this, but I’m warning you: you’re not getting a foot inside this house”

“Tony, please...” Steve tried, trying to step inside his house. Tony, to his and all of the team’ssurprise, raised his hand, and the Iron Man gauntlet formed around it out of nothing. Just then, Steve realised his husband had a faint light coming out from his chest, and his world fell. Why had Tony the arc reactor again? What had happened? 

“I swear to Science, not one more step. I don’t know what you are, but I’m not afraid of firing”

“I’ll call Strange” Peter said, behind Tony. The engineer nodded, and Peter quickly disappeared into the house, looking shaken up. Soon enough, an orange portal appeared right next to Tony. Steve wanted to yell, to alert Tony of it, but the genius seemed more relaxed now that it was there. 

A man stepped out of it. He was tall, taller than Tony at least. He had sharp features, eyes light and calculating. A similar facial hair to Tony’s was on his face. He looked worried, not even giving them a glance. 

“Tony, what’s going on? Peter called, said there was a really urgent situation and... oh” he said, finally realising Steve and the team were there. Tony was still looking at them, and Peter soon re-appeared, going to stand between Tony and the new guy. He looked relieved when he saw him, and Steve felt jealously growing in his chest. He was supposed to calm down Peter, not scare him. He was his Papa, not that guy. Then again, he thought, he hadn’t been there in thirteen years, being his will or not. 

“They just knocked at our door, Doc” Peter said “, we don’t know what they want or who they are”

“But they look...”

“Yeah” Tony sighed, hand still raised” we know how they look”

“Tony, it’s us” Natasha said, quickly deciding she had to take control. Steve seemed to be in too much shock- understandable, of course-, and Tony was not accepting the facts... she could understand that, too “. Look, we know... we know you guys think we’re dead. And we know we disappeared more than thirteen years ago, but you have to hear us out. We were attacked, in our mission. We thought we’d win, but then the guy turned his place into a maze of traps. We were taken down, but we didn’t die. We just fell unconscious, and then... when we woke up, thirteen years had gone by”

“You want me to believe you spent thirteen years sleeping? Like, in a coma? Yeah, not a chance. How were you guys asleep for that long? How did he manage to keep you guys alive? Thor’s supposed to be a God. _A God_ , lady. Tell me: how is it possible, what you say?”

“We don’t know, doll” Steve finally said, knowing he had to convince his husband it was really them, no matter what. Peter seemed to believe whatever his Dad believed, almost following him like a lost puppy, so the key was to make Tony believe him “. When we woke up, we found the guy dead, we couldn’t ask him-“

“Or beat the shit outta him” Clint scoffed. Steve tried to ignore him, and kept going. 

“We called Fury and only when we talked to him we discovered what had happened. Please, honey, you have to believe me. Us. Peter, Bambi...”

“Don’t” Tony whispered, voice finally breaking. Peter seemed to start to believe his words, too, his posture more relaxed and looking at him with a mix of hope and doubt. Tony started to put down his hand, and then... a robot came trough the wall. 

“What...?” He heard Bruce ask, behind him. Tony looked at he robot, but he didn’t seem scared. In fact, when he saw him (him?), he seemed relieved. 

“Vision, thanks physics you came, buddy” 

“Of course, Sir. Do you need something?” The robot _spoke_ , and Steve and the rest were quite shocked to hear JARVIS’ voice. 

“JARVIS…?” The blond whispered. Tony looked at him briefly, doubt crossing his features, before looking back at Vision.

“Actually, I do. Listen, we… we have some, er, _visitors._ They’re saying they’re our family, the one who died years ago. So, tell me who they truly are, please”

Vision nodded, and then looked at them. Steve kept his gaze on Tony, but the engineer wasn’t looking back at him, instead choosing to look at Vision. Peter was looking at the robot, too, and Steve just wanted to be believed, he wanted to hug his boys again, for God’s shake. 

Vision scanned them all with his eyes, and then he opened his mouth, shocked (could a robot feel shocked? Steve asked himself. Well, if Tony had built him, then probably…). He looked at Tony, who, once again, was looking like he himself had some doubts about it all.

“Mister Stark, they’re… they’re actually who they say they are”

Tony shook his head, still not believing his words.

“No, it can be… they’re dead, Vision. _He’s_ dead”

“I’m not” Steve said, finally stepping into his home. Slowly, he started getting closer to his husband “. It’s me, darling. And I’m sorry I was away for this long. I’ve never intended to, believe me. The moment I woke up I wanted to go back to you and our son. Tony, it’s me, sweetheart. It’s me, and I still love you, and I still love how your hair curls if you don’t put anything on it, and I love the way you used to bring me tea to the Studio if, for one time, I was the one who got lost in time. And, please, if you don’t believe me…” he took out the drawing he was still carrying, and he heard Peter’s gasp, clearly recognising it. Tony opened his mouth in shock at the sight of it, too. Steve finally got to him, and, carefully, he rested a hand against Tony’s cheek, caressing his face sweet and gentle. Tony looked up, almost not breathing. His eyes were full of tears, and Steve smiled to him, brushing his thumb over his husband’s cheek, quickly cleaning the tear that had escaped his left eye. Tony finally moved, resting a hand over Steve’s much larger one.

“Steve…?”

“Yeah” the blond smiled, pressing their foreheads together “, it’s me”

Tony laughed -a laugh that was that and also a sob of pure happiness- and put a shaky hand on his nape, bringing him closer to him, and kissing him with all the love he could, which, honestly, was a lot.

Steve smiled into the kiss, his hand moving from Tony’s cheek to his waist, the other one still holding his son’s drawing. 

“It’s you” Tony whispered before his lips, before kissing him again, and again, and again, not getting tired of it. He had spent thirteen years without his husband’s sweet lips, he was kissing him as much as he could now, thank you so much “. It’s you, it’s you, it’s you…”

“It’s me, my love”

“Oh, Vita Mia…”

Steve laughed, hugging Tony to his body and hiding his face on his hair, kissing it sweetly. Just when he opened his eyes, he saw his son looking at him teary eyed, fidgeting with his hands and clearly in a lost for words. His hold on Tony became weaker and the inventor broke it, following his husband’s eyes. He smiled softly then, and stepped aside, nodding towards Steve to tell him it was okay. Steve smiled towards him, and then stepped closer to Peter.

“Oh, A stór” he whispered, before almost running towards his son. He met him halfway, and hugged him like when he was a kid, face hidden in his shoulder and arms around his middle. This time, though, his arms were able to touch each other in the back.

“Papa” he murmured against Steve’s shirt. The blond smiled and let his tears fall freely, kissing his son’s soft curls.

“I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry… I wanted to be there for you, I… Bambi, I’m so sorry”

“It’s okay, Papa. You’re here, now”

Steve smiled, hugging his son tighter. Soon, he felt a hand on his arm, and Tony was suddenly there, right beside them. Steve opened his arms and welcomed his husband into the hug, laughing and crying at the same time. It felt amazing, better than everything he had ever felt. He had the loves of his life there, with him, and they were _safe._ Once they broke the hug, Peter and Tony seemed to remember there were other people, too. 

“Oh, dear brother” Tony said, hugging Bruce. Peter went almost running to Bucky, who hugged him tight to his body, even walking some meters with him, until they were back into the Penthouse.

“Uncle Bucky, you’re alive, oh my God”

“That’d be me” Thor said, stealing Peter from Bucky’s arms. The super soldier was going to complain, but then Tony hugged him, so he quickly forgot about it. 

“Uncle Thor!” Peter laughed, more happy than he had ever felt. His father -his _father_ \- was there, the rest of his family with him. When he’d saw him he had thought he was still suffering the gas’ effects. And then, when his Dad could see them, too, he’d thought they were some monsters or whatever, trying to mess with them. But, for some miracle, they were really there. His father, although older, looked just like Peter remembered him. He looked like home, his hug felt like that, too. It was his Papa, Peter didn’t have any more doubts. How, he couldn’t explain, not even after Natasha’s words, but… his family was there. _Alive_. 

Once they had all cried and hugged each other, Tony, now wrapped in Steve’s arms -Peter was also there, unable to stay away from his Papa-, remembered Stephen was also in the room.

“Oh yeah, er… sorry for calling you, Stephen, we truly thought…”

“It’s okay, I get it” the doctor smiled. Tony smiled back, grateful to be in good terms with him. At first they had collided, bantering all the goddamn time. But, after some time, they had learned to work together, and they respected each other. Stephen was also a good friend, and sometimes he had dinner with Tony, Peter, Vision and sometimes Fury. 

“Guys” Tony said then “, this is Doctor Stephen Strange, the Supreme Sorcerer”

“Nice to meet you all” Stephen said “, certainly not something I saw coming”

“Wait, you’re a wizard?” Sam asked.

“A sorcerer, to be more precise. And, also, the guardian of the Time Stone”

“You have the Time Stone?” Steve asked, surprised. Stephen nodded, smiling to the Captain, happy that his friend had his husband back.

“If I can ask” Bucky suddenly said, and then pointed to Vision “, who’s that?”

“Oh, er… that’s Vision” Tony answered, and there was a faint tone of sadness in his words “, he… well, he’s what we have left of JARVIS”

“What?” Wanda asked, shocked.

“A couple of years ago… well, we had some problems. JARVIS fell, and, in an attempt of, somehow, keep him alive, Vision was born” Tony said, sighing “. He’s not JARVIS, but… he was created from him”

“So, who controls the Tower now?” Natasha asked. Tony smiled, and looked at the ceiling.

“Hey girl, you with us?”

“As always, sir” A different voice than they were all used to answered.

“How about you introduce yourself, honey buns?”

“Of course, Sir. My name is FRIDAY. I’m a learning AI, running this Tower and Mister Stark’s suits”

“Nice to meet you, FRIDAY” Steve smiled. He was sad JARVIS was gone, but FRIDAY didn’t deserve any of that sadness.

“Nice to meet you, too. How do you wish to be addressed?”

“Steve’s fine, thanks, FR-”

“He’s my husband, FRI, so you know how it goes”

“Oh! Of course. Welcome home, Sir”

“Tony” Steve whined. Tony just laughed, and then pecked his lips, glad he was able to do it, again. Just then Fury came.

“Oh, you’re all lovely again! Never thought I’d say this, but it is a nice thing to see, especially after all of this time” he smiled. Tony smiled back, still in Steve’s arms, and not planning on getting out of there anytime soon. 

“Tony, if it’s okay with you, I’ll leave now” Strange said then “, I’m happy for you guys, although I want to know how this was possible”

“You and I, Doctor” Tony sighed “. But, yeah, I don’t mind. Thanks for coming”

“Not a problem” Stephen smiled, and then created a portal and disappeared.

“I don’t know if that’s cool, or creepy” Sam said, smiling “. I’ll go for both”

“Is he a part of the New Avengers?” Steve asked, curious.

“More or less. He comes to help in almost every mission, we just have to make it official” his husband answered “. He’s a great ally to have, that’s for sure”

“Who are the other members of the team?” Natasha asked, going over to the living room and taking a seat. The others followed behind her, taking in the differences of the room. The furniture was almost the same, although there was a new couch, and TV, and now there were other pictures put in there, pictures that had been taken over the years, as Peter grew up, Tony by his side. There were more books, and other stuff, and it was clear it was the home of two geniuses, one of them still pretty young.

“Well, we have Peter over here” Tony said, sitting down in the main couch. Steve sat down next to him, his son at his other side. The young superhero raised his hand, timidly “. Also, Rhodey is in the team. Doctor Strange helps us, Vision is on the team as well, and we have Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne”

“A.k.a Ant-man and the Wasp” Peter chirped in

“There’s an Ant-Man, a Wasp and a Spiderman?” Bruce asked, surprised. Tony laughed and nodded, and Fury cleared his throat then.

“Okay, guys, it’s time to get serious. I’ve sent people to the island you were trapped in: they’ll find out what happened. Meanwhile, we have to get you guys out again. You certainly are not dead, and that means a lot of paperwork. Also: press. Someone has to do a press conference, talk about this”

“Yeah, but who?” Steve asked “, we can’t just go out there”

“I could” Tony said, although he looked unsure.

“I don’t know, Tones” Fury told him “, I don’t know if that’s our best option. This is some serious stuff”

“I could do it” Peter chirped in “. People will listen to me. Plus, the press loves drama: and I’m his son” he said, pointing to Steve “, they’ll love it”

“That’s a good idea” the director said, smiling “. I’m sure people won’t doubt your words, and you can give an even more dramatic tone to it all”

“Sounds good” Tony sighed. Steve bit his bottom lip, looking at his son.

“Are you sure, sweetheart? If it’s uncomfortable…”

“I’m good, Papa, don’t worry. I’ve done press conferences before”

“Oh yeah, like the one we had to do when you had to come out as Spiderman” Tony said, with an evil smile. Peter groaned and rolled his eyes, head falling against Steve’s arm.

“Why do you always remind me of that one, huh? Why?”

“‘Cause you made a mess worth of my worst days, kiddo”

“It wasn’t _that_ bad, c’mon”

“Whatever you say…”

Steve smiled at his boys’ interaction. He loved to see Tony and Peter together, always had. His husband had always feared being a bad father for their kid, but he was the best Steve could’ve imagined. And Peter, being the man that he was, only proved it. 

They stayed in peace the rest of the evening, just getting caught up in Peter and Tony’s life. It definitely was interesting seeing them together. Peter was pretty much a carbon copy of Tony, although he did have things from Steve, too. Anyways, it was really funny to see them both. And heartwarming. 

They stayed up until late, chatting and having some dinner (well, technically, Vision couldn’t eat, but… you get the point). By the time they all decided to go to bed, Peter discreetly left with his Uncle Bucky, telling him he was going to sleep in his Guest bedroom for the night. His Papa’s red face, his Dad’s smile and the hysterics laughs of his Uncle Bucky made Peter really, really happy.

Plus, he was right.

 

“Okay, so we have around forty reporters out there; real ones, not bloggers” Peter rolled his eyes at his Dad, but let him adjust his shirt. They were all in one of the rooms behind the press conference room in the Avengers facility, ready to announce the world the news about the lost Avengers being actually alive. All of them were there, looking at the engineer and Peter with soft smiles. Steve was right next to Tony, letting his husband do. He knew better, with the press “. Coulson, how many time do we have left?”

“Two minutes”

Tony nodded, bitting his bottom lip. Peter smiled to his father and rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it.

“Dad, it’ll be fine, okay?”

Tony sighed, but nodded, and looked Peter over, once again. His son was in some nice dark trousers, and a shirt with some quirky pattern- Peter’s style. It was good though: it showed he was professional, yet still young. It was going to give a good impression, to the press. 

“Okay, so, usual game?” Tony asked, smiling. His son nodded, smiling back, and Tony laughed before talking again “. Okay, so, crying… well, it’s easy for you to make people cry, so let’s say… twenty”

“Alright, it’s fair”

“Okay. So, cry is twenty. If someone sobs, though, forty”

“Fainting means eighty”

“Fair enough. For each ‘that’s not possible’… thirty”

“Okay”

“And… name of the college, a hundred”

“Make it double and I’ll get the teacher’s name”

“Oh, it’s on”

Peter smiled again and gave a high-five to his Dad, who laughed in return. Coulson adverted them Peter had to go into the room now, so he gave his Dad one last hug, and another one to his Pops.

“I’m sure you’ll do an amazing job, A stór”

“Thank you, Papa” Peter smiled, hugging him tighter. He smiled towards him and finally left for the press conference.

Tony and Steve went to the rest of the family, who were sitting around one TV, seeing the room right next to them in live time.

“What was all that?” Natasha asked, curious. Tony let Steve put an arm around him, leaning on his husband’s broad chest, before answering:

“That’s a game Peter and I created a few years ago, when he started doing press. It helps to keep his nerves away, helps him relax”

“And what’s the game, exactly?” Steve asked.

“Well, it’s a game of words, or even acts. For example, today if someone cries, I’ll give him twenty dollars”

“Every time someone cries?” Bucky asked, clearly amused.

“Yup.It’s fun to see Peter manipulating the reporters without them even knowing. Some secret pleasure of mine”

Steve rolled his eyes, but was still smiling.

“You’re incorrigible, doll” he said, kissing his husband’s head.

“Oh, I know. But it makes Peter feel more secure, and it gives him some fun. Let’s see if he does everything I told him today”

“I don’t know” Bruce laughed “, the college name _and_ the teacher?”

“Oh, science bro, you’ve never seen Peter do a press conference. Watch and enjoy”

Bruce shook his head, but turned his attention to the TV nonetheless. Peter was already entering the room.

_“So he’s here, Peter Stark-Rogers”_ a reporter was saying _“, wonder what he is going to announce. It’s been rumoured that he’s taking over SI, now that he has graduated from college. It has been denied a couple of times by people close to the Stark family, but who knows”_

Tony scoffed, resting a hand on Steve’s knee and absently drawing on it.

“As if. I can still be on the top of my game. Plus, Peter wants some time to enjoy his young years, and I want him to do that, too. Do you agree?” He asked Steve. The blond smiled adoringly and nodded, kissing Tony’s forehead.

“Of course I do. Pete has to live a little, before he settles down”

Tony smiled back and went back to see the TV. Peter was about to talk.

“ _Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you so much for coming. I’m sure you’ll all be wondering why we called you in, in such a short notice”_ a couple of hands raised, but Peter smiled gently to them, shaking his head _“. Please, no questions until I’ve finished. It’ll make things easier. Well, I… I came here today to talk about my Father and my family. And, no, I don’t mean Tony Stark. I mean Steve Rogers, and the family that disappeared with him, thirteen years ago”_

A few gasps were heard. It wasn’t that weird for Peter to talk about Steve, but it wasn’t that common, either. And he mostly did it via social media, with some posts on Instagram. Very few little times he’d done it in some formal event.

_“Excuse me”_ a reporter in the front row said, interrupting Peter _“, but why were we called here, exactly?”_

_“I was just getting there, ma’am, if you let me keep talking”_

_“Well, I was just thinking: why call for a press conference to, you know, talk about, well…”_

_“Dead people?”_ Peter asked, gaining another few gasps. Tony and Steve smiled at the show their son was already making _“. I’m sorry, miss, I don’t know how you were educated, nor were…definitely don’t know who taught you to interrupt someone while they’re speaking. Maybe Brown…”_

_“My alma mater is Columbia, actually. Professor Brown taught me: I believe you know him”_

_“Oh, I do”_

“That little shit” Tony whispered under his breath. Steve and the others had their mouth open in shock. 

“He literally accomplished it in one minute” Bucky murmured.

“That’s some manipulating abilities, right there” Natasha smiled, proud of her nephew. Peter kept talking, on screen.

_“As I was saying, I came here to talk about my Father, and my family. All of you know the story, and I’ve talked about it a few times, already. You all know the details, right?”_ He stayed a few moments in silence, taking in every presence in the room _“. Nobody saw it coming, really. I mean, everything was pretty perfect back then: my Dads were happily married, I was a pretty happy and peaceful kid… things were easier, you could say. Times were easier. But, you know, nothing ever lasts, especially peace. My Pops and the rest of the family went missing, and my Dad’s world shattered. Mine did as well, but it didn’t have the same impact than it had on Tony’s. I mean, he was aware of things. And, you know, I’ve always asked myself: how did he do it? How he kept living with a broken heart? How?”_ The camera focused on the reporters then, to show some of the emotions in the room. Just as Peter had intended, the majority of them were tearing up or fully crying. A couple of them were discreetly sobbing.

“Oh my God, he’s killing it right now” Fury laughed, stepping into the room. Tony looked at him, annoyed.

“That little asshole just made them cry _and_ sob. He only has to make them say ‘that’s not possible’ and make someone faint”

“What happens if he does everything you tell him to do?” Thor asked.

“Super prize” Tony said, annoyed. Steve laughed and kissed him chaste and sweet, trying to tell him how sorry he was for being away, too. He knew Peter was trying to make people cry, but he was speaking the truth, and it only made Steve ask himself: how did Tony do it? How did he went on with a broken heart? Tony smiled softly at him, like he knew what was going on in his head -which, honestly, he probably did-, and kissed his fingers reverently, wanting those bad thoughts to go away.

_“And, you know”_ Peter kept going _“I’ve always missed my Papa. And, believe me, I love my Dad. He’s been my rock for so many years, he… he’s my hero, Iron Man or not. Still, I missed my Papa. And that’s normal, right? It’s human. So, I often asked myself: what if he was still here? What if I could hug him again? It seems pretty impossible, right?”_ He waited a few moments until everyone nodded, and then kept going _“Yeah, I thought so, too. My Dad thought so, too. But then, the Universe proved us wrong”_

_“What do you mean?”_ A reporter from the second row asked. Peter smiled and looked directly at the camera that was on him in that moment.

_“I mean… they’re actually alive”_

Tony had to give him the grand prize.

 

A few weeks later, life in the Tower was shockingly domestic. Not like it wasn’t before: it was, it totally was. But, thirteen years had passed since the team had gone missing, so they all thought it was going to be hard, getting used to be all there again. However, it was not.

Steve and Tony quickly fell into the dynamic they had back then, only changing their duties with Peter: he wasn’t a kid who needed help or supervision anymore. Well, actually: he needed supervision, sometimes. The first time he came with a bullet wound (it was only a graze, but still, Peter, _you can’t ask me to not worry about you_ ) the Captain freaked the hell out. 

Still, their lives were good. And the world had taken their ‘resurrection’ as some kind of miracle, even when Steve himself explained what happened, after the SHIELD’ agents had investigated. Apparently, the guy was… well, obsessed with them. He kept them there, just as if they were toys. He had developed something really, really strong to keep them alive, and took care of them daily. It was disturbing to think about, so they chose to do it as less as possible. 

Rhodey was screaming of pure joy when he reunited with the missing team, although he almost killed Tony for not telling him sooner. Still, he was really happy to see them. He introduced them to Scott and Hope, and Steve immediately knew she was the one who truly knew what to do. They were good assets to the team, so the Captain was happy to have them.

Yeah, life went to normal- kind of. Now Peter was fighting right beside them, dressed in a spandex outfit and joking with the guys he was supposed to be fighting -‘ _you get used to it_ ’ Tony had told him, one day. Steve surely hope so, because, super soldier or not, he didn’t know if his heart could take that much Peter.

The Superfamily was back together. They had lost thirteen years, and that was something they were never getting back. _But_ , they were together.

And, in the end, it was all that mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii! So, I REALLY hope you guys liked, or even loved, the chapter!
> 
> I told you guys I love angst with a happy ending, huh?
> 
> Just a couple of clariifcations: I made Vision appear later because if he'd been around their dissapearance a) if he was with them, he wouldn't be controlled by his invention, cause he's a robot and b) if he were to stay with Tony and not go into the mission, when they'd dissapeared he would've just scanned the world to find them. Same it goes for Loki: he obviously knows his brother is not dead, so...yeah
> 
> PLEASE leave comments and kudos if you can, and I'll see you next time! Don't forget to check out my other story! Okay, bye!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle in New York hs just ended
> 
> And Tony has a surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, hiiii!
> 
> It's been a LONG time, I know! I was just so focused on my other story, I kind of lost inspiration for this one... but, I had an idea recently and I thought: why not? I really hope you guys enjoy it! Contrary to my other story, there'll be tons of fluff in this one!

The city was a mess. Destroyed cars and whole pieces of buildings were on the street, dust filling whoever was brave enough to wander into the mess’ lungs. The aliens’ bodies were scattered all around the town, and the first officers were starting to arrive, trying to see if there was someone trapped somewhere. The evacuation of the city had been done quite well and fast, but they wanted to make sure no one was still in there. However, as much destruction as it’d been, the alien invasion had been evaded, and it was thanks to the Avengers.

The Avengers were tired after the battle. It’d been really demanding, for all of them, but they had come up on top, so the sentiment of victory was very sweet. They had had their differences in the last couple of days, but at the end, it had all come together and they had fought as a team, and had made it all in one piece - even Tony Stark, even when at first didn’t look like it. 

It was Tony Stark the one who was the one already wanting to leave. He’d been fighting with his teammates, and he was glad it all was over and he had survived it - fucking _aliens_ had tried to invade the Earth, for God’s sake -, but now it was time to go. He had places to be. And, even when he’d agreed to shawarma -it’d been his idea, to begin with -, but it was time he went home. 

“Well, it’s been quite the time, but I’m gonna leave now,” Tony said the moment he’d swallowed the last bit of his shawarma. 

“Oh, c’mon Stark, don’t leave just yet” Clint complained, throwing a napkin at him. Tony caught him and threw it back, hitting the archer in the forehead.

“Shut it, Bird Brain”

“Tony, do you really have to leave?” Steve asked then. His eyes, so gentle and kind, were doing funny things to Tony’s guts, and he honestly didn’t like it. He had too many things going on in his life at the moment to even think about a romantic relationship, and not to mention he didn’t even know if Steve was attracted to fellas. However, his eyes in that moment… they were far too gentle.

“I really have to, Capsicle”

“Why is that, Man of Iron?” Thor boomed “I thought we were having a good time”

“Yeah, Tony, why do you have to leave now?” Natasha asked, raising a perfect eyebrow. Immediately, Tony felt more nervous. Could it be that she knew…?

“Guys, if Tony has to leave…” Bruce tried to say. Tony was grateful for his kindness - he was serious about offering him a place at the Tower. He knew the genius truly deserved it. 

“We just finished eating” Clint insisted “Why does he have to leave so soon? Aren’t we cool enough?”

“You are, Clint,” Tony said, rolling his eyes “But I really have to go”

“Why?” Steve asked again, even when he looked like he was feeling a bit bad about insisting like he knew Tony was not truly comfortable with sharing his reason to go. Tony opened his mouth to answer, but his phone beat him to it. His expression changed then to one of worry, and he quickly put out his phone, expression of worry only growing when he saw the caller ID.

“Happy, everything okay?” He said, answering the call. He stayed in silence for a few moments “Yeah, I’m okay, don’t worry. Is everything okay at the Penthouse?… Okay, tell him to not be worried… No, Happy, I - look, I’m going home now, alright? Breathe, would yah?… yeah, I know this is not your job, but deal with it”

He finally hung up and seemed to remember there were other people there. The Avengers were looking at him with raised eyebrows, even when Bruce looked at him with a little bit of guiltiness. 

“Everything okay, Tony?” Steve asked. 

“Yeah, just… I really have to go now”

“Tony, is everything okay?” Clint asked, for once serious. 

“Yeah, just…” the engineer sighed, running a hand through his hair “. Would you all come with me?”

“Where?” Bruce asked.

“To my house”

“I thought you lived in Malibu” Thor frowned, remembering Tony telling him about his house not even an hour before.

“I did, but I moved to a Penthouse here in Manhattan a few weeks ago so I could supervise the Tower’s construction”

“We’ll go with you, Tony” Steve smiled, standing up. The rest of the Avengers followed his example and Tony smiled at them before leaving the place. The whole city was uncommunicated, and Tony’s place was close enough to go walking. They did it in silence, looking at the city around them. When they got to Tony’s building they discovered it was one of the luckiest, having been barely damaged. It was tall and beautiful, but nothing too extravagant. Natasha guessed Tony wanted to lay on the low, but she didn’t know exactly why. They got into the building and then the elevator, all in silence. When Tony opened the door Happy Hogan was quick to appear, looking relieved to see Tony. 

“Boss! Thank God you’re here, I didn’t know if I could do this anymore. Oh, the rest of the team is here, I see”

“They are” Tony nodded “. Now, where…?”

“Daddy!” The team heard, and suddenly a toddler appeared out of nowhere. He had to be around two years old. He had a beautiful head of brown curls and big brown eyes, just like Bambi had. Tony smiled when he saw him and kneeled so he could catch the running toddler. When he did the kid hugged the engineer as tight as his little body let him, giggling. Tony was clearly happy to have the kid back in his arms again, laughing lightly and standing up with him in his arms, hugging him tight and kissing his head. The rest of the team was looking at them with surprise in their faces. Sure, they didn’t know Tony that well (even Natasha, who’d been his ‘assistant’ for a while, didn’t know too much about him), but he hadn’t seen like the fatherly type. Yet, there he was, with a child (a child who’d called him daddy) on his arms.

“Bambi, hi” he finally said “, were you good to Uncle Happy?”

“Uncle Hap’!” The kid yelled, nodding. Tony smiled, nodding and kissing his forehead again. Steve cleared his throat then, looking between father and son with doubt on his eyes. 

“So, Tony… who is this little guy?”

“This is my son, Peter” Tony smiled “. Peter Benjamin Stark”

“Your son?” Clint asked, “Since when?”

“Since before he was born, more than two years ago,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. 

“So, he’s two” Bruce deduced. 

“Not quite, but he’ll be two in August”

“So, is he yours, yours?” Clint asked.

“Biologically? Yeah”

“What about the little guy’s mother?” Thor asked, going over to Tony and touching Peter’s little nose, to the toddler’s delight.

“She’s… out of the picture” Tony said “. She’s honestly a good woman, but she never thought about being a Mom. She still cares about Peter, don’t get me wrong, but she decided to give me full custody of him”

“So you’ve had him since he was born?” Steve asked, also smiling to the little guy.

“Yep. And since then I’ve been trying to keep it on the down low. I know I’ll have to say I have a son sooner than later, and with all of what has happened in the last couple of days, I know it’d have to be soon. But, for the moment, you are one of the few people that know”

“Why are you keeping him a secret for now?” Bruce asked, smiling when, when he got closer to Peter the kid put a hand on his cheek and patted, smiling. 

“Because I grew up in the spotlight” Tony sighed “, and I know how much that sucks. The longer I can keep him from that, the better. However, I… I think it’s good to have you guys know. I trust you, and I trust you with this, too”

“Well, we’re pleased to meet both of you, Tony” Steve smiled, getting closer to the engineer and his son and caressing the younger’s little cheek. Peter smiled in return and leaned in his touch. Steve’s heart melted at that, and he looked at Tony to only discover the genius was already looking at him. Something fun exploded in his stomach, and the blond found himself blushing. He quickly looked back at Peter, who was mesmerised by Natasha’s hair. Steve smiled at the cuteness of the scene, laughing at Tony’s face when Thor picked up Peter and threw him in the air a couple of times, and thought two things: first, Tony was a different person than he’d initially thought, much more kind and likeable than he’d thought; second… the future was not such a bad place, after all.

 

After the New York battle, the Avengers went their own way. Thor went back to Asgard with Loki, Natasha and Clint to whatever they did, and Steve went on a road trip to see as much of America as he could. Bruce was the only one who stayed in New York, with Tony and little Peter. Tony had also told Steve he could stay with them anytime he wanted to, reminding him he could have a place at the newly named Avengers Tower.

Steve had a good time on his own. Sure, it was kind of lonely sometimes, but he needed time to get used to the new century. He traveled all through the States, being recognised more times that he would have wanted and learning about as many things as he could. He slept wherever, ate a the weirdest places and enjoyed sleeping under the stars. He liked to get lost, and draw the places he visited, and he specially liked going to the movies at late hours at night. He had a hard time sleeping, anyways. 

So, yeah, he had done that for… well, quite the time. A year after the battle of Manhattan, Steve was done, but didn’t have anything else to do. He’d found himself kind of lost and, when he told Tony that (in one of their practically daily conversations), the engineer was quick to invite him to live at the Tower, once again. Steve agreed that time around, and packed everything he had, arriving to New York at the beginning of August. By then, New York was looking like nothing had happened with the Chitauri, and Steve knew how much work had had to be done for the city to look like that. He knew Tony had a lot to do with that. 

Tony, whom he hadn’t seen in more than a year but whom he had talked everyday for hours. It was Tony the one who told him the best places to go, the shittiest movies to see… he’d been the one to listen to him rant for _hours_ when Steve was too overwhelmed. They’d shared nights of insomnia and stories about their past. If he was being honest, he was dying to see him again. 

He got into the Tower without much problem, and JARVIS, whom Tony had talked to him about, took him to the Penthouse - Tony’s personal floor. When he got out he could immediately hear happy giggles, and when he arrived to the living room he saw why: Tony and Peter were there. The engineer was sitting on the largest sofa, back against the back of it, and his son was crawling up and down Tony’s body, just like he was climbing it. Both were giggling like crazy, and Steve couldn’t have ever pictured a more perfect image, one that was the pure definition of happiness. Tony seemed to see him then, and his smile only widened. 

“Steve! Hey” he said, standing up, Peter perched to his hip “, you didn’t tell me you were arriving today, I would’ve gone to pick you up”

“Well, I wanted to surprise you” Steve smiled, getting closer and accepting Tony’s hug. He then tickled Peter’s tummy. “Hello, Petey. Look how much you’ve grown!”

“He’s about to turn three” Tony informed him, smiling proud like any parent would.

“And he’s the cutest kid ever. Peter, you know who I am?”

“‘teve!” Peter exclaimed, stretching his arms so Steve could pick him up. The soldier obeyed, smiling wide when the toddler sloppily kissed his cheek.

“He’s seen you in all of the pictures you’ve sent. Sometimes I read parts of your letters to him, and I talked to him about you. This kid missed you as much as I did” Tony laughed, making Steve feel warm and dizzy “. By the way, sending letters _with_ pictures printed on them was more vintage from you than I could’ve ever imagined”

“Hey, I was not going to get a laptop” Steve complained, going to sit by the sofa where Tony was before. Peter was still in arms, looking comfortable as ever “. And I think it’s charming”

“It is, yeah. Now tell me, how have you been?”

“I told you, Tony. We talked every day, if not by phone, by letters”

“I know, but I learned you’re more like me than I would’ve ever thought, so… tell me, how have you been? Really?”

“Well…” Steve murmured, letting Peter play with his hair and tickling him. He couldn’t help but smile at the cute child “I’ve been kind of lonely. You know, I thought I had to do the trip to get to know myself more, and to rediscover the country I defended all of those years ago, but once I was done with my trip… it got pretty lonely, real fast”

“It’s okay, Steve. It’s normal”

“I guess. I mean, all of my friends are… dead. And everything I knew it’s different now”

“You have me, if that helps,” Tony said.

“That helps” Steve smiled, nodding gratefully “. And, well… if it’s okay with you I’d love to live here with you and Peter, and Bruce”

“Well, Brucie travels a lot. But little Petey and I here would love to welcome you into our home”

“Thank you, Tony”

“No problem. And don’t worry, Cap, we’ll find you something to do to keep you occupied”

Steve nodded, tickling Peter some more and enjoying how happy he felt right in that moment. More than ever, he thought he could be happy in that Tower.

 

A few months later the rest of the Avengers decided to visit. They were busy all the time; with Natasha and Clint on missions and Thor on Asgard on his prince duties, it was hard to make their schedules match. Bruce was the one who was at the Tower the most, other than Tony and Steve, and so, he was kind of aware of the changed behaviour between their two leaders, because Tony and Steve…

Well, they were basically like a married couple. Even when Bruce had his own floor on the Tower (which he was grateful for) Steve stayed in the same floor as Tony and Peter, even when Steve had initially his own floor, too. Steve helped Tony take care of Peter, and he cooked for all of them, and managed to get Tony out of the workshop when the engineer was too engrossed in his work. They saw movies together and had breakfast every morning, and they took turns in things as simple as bathing Peter or doing the dishes. They were disgustingly domestic, and so: Bruce told his other teammates before Tony and Steve reunited with them.

“Guys, it’s good to see you again” he smiled, hugging all of them.

“It’s good to see you, too, Bruce” Natasha smiled. 

“Indeed it is, my friend. Now, where are our other friends?”

“Yeah, where are Tony and Steve?” Clint asked “And Peter? I want to see the little muffin, he was adorable in the last picture Tony sent”

“They’ll be here soon” Bruce smiled “, but there’s something I have to tell you beforehand”

“What is it?” Natasha asked, sitting at one of the bar tools.

“Tony and Steve, they… well, they’re married without even realising it”

“What?” Clint asked, laughing “Those two?”

“Yeah. Look, believe me: those two are the most disgustingly domestic couple you can imagine”

“But they’re not a couple, right?” Natasha asked.

“They don’t know they are, no”

“I am confused, Bruce,” Thor said, “How can they be a couple without knowing that?”

“I don’t even know, but just look at them, look how they behave and how their faces change and just… look at how they look at each other, and how much they look like a family, with Peter”

“Alright,” Natasha shrugged. Just a moment after, the elevator doors dinged and Tony stepped into the room. 

“Well, hello Wonder Twins and Point Break! Such an incredible thing to have you all here. Hi, Brucie”

“Hey, Tony” the genius laughed. The other members of the team laughed and hugged the engineer and, before they could ask him where Steve and Peter were, the both of them made their presence. The blond was different than the last time they’d saw him. He was happier, like a weight had been lifted of his shoulders. He smiled towards them, Peter perched to his hip and smiling at the whole team, too. His little hand was waving at them and, if they didn’t know the kid was Tony’s, they could’ve thought he was Steve’s son by the way the Captain was holding him. 

“Guys! Hi, it’s so nice to see you all!” He said, going to hug them all. The team hugged him back and took turns to held Peter, whom, as when he’d met him, preferred to be held by Thor and be thrown up in the air - of course, his Dad and Steve were always better than the God, but that was under stable -. 

“Look at this cutie! He’s grown quite a lot” Clint laughed, tickling Peter’s belly. The infant laughed, hiding his face on Natasha’s shoulder “How old are you, buddy?”

“I’m three!”

“Wow, such a big boy”

“He indeed is” Steve smiled, looking at his son… er, Peter, fondly “, and he’s doing big boy things now”

“Yeah? Like what, little one?” Natasha smiled, running her hand through Peter’s hair.

“I… get dressed by myself!” Peter exclaimed with that cute accent all toddlers have. 

“And he choses what he’s going to wear, too, don’t you A Stór?” Steve said, tickling his kid’s belly. Peter laughed and stretched his arms towards him, asking him to pick him up. Steve obeyed and Natasha laughed at how such a big man was just wrapped up around a little kid’s little finger. She also observed Tony and the expression he had on his face. And, yeah, she could see what Bruce was saying: Tony looked at Steve like he was his whole world, alongside Peter. His eyes were full of love, and Natasha wondered if the engineer was even aware of his feelings towards the Captain. When Steve looked back at Tony, the spy discovered that look was reciprocated. Steve was totally in love with Tony… and Tony loved him back. Now they just had to realise it.

Just… Natasha wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to do so. 

 

Steve had bathed Peter right after dinner, and then he’d put his favourite pyjama and read him two bedtime stories. Peter had been laying on his chest, slowly getting asleep, and Steve couldn’t help but feel like that, that right there, was true happiness. The life he’d built with Tony in just a little over a year, that life: it was perfect. 

And, even when he didn’t know if he was allowed to, he had found a home in them. He’d fallen in love with Tony, hard, and if he was being completely honest, he didn’t even know if he hadn’t been in love since the moment he’d met him, or if he’d completely fallen for him in one of their talks during Steve’s long trip. What he did know was that he’d realise it after they’d moved together, but he was too scared to tell Tony. What if he didn’t feel the same? 

That could potentially break their little family. Because they were a family, right? At least, it felt like that. And Peter… Gosh, Steve thought while tucking him in bed (after carefully climbing out of bed and putting Peter in it, after he’d been laying on his chest): he truly loved Peter, too. He didn’t know if Tony would agree, but to Steve: Peter was his kid, too. Deep down, he knew Peter was his son, and he knew he was destined to be Peter’s other father. He just didn’t know if Tony and Peter felt the same. He turned off the lights of his kid’s bedroom and went to the living room, where he knew Tony was. But, when he arrived, he saw his favourite engineer sitting in silence, with his elbows on his legs and his head on his hands. He was trying to breath deeply, but it looked like he was having a hard time while doing so. 

Steve was right next to Tony in a matter of seconds, rubbing the genius’ back and whispering comforting words in his ear. A few minutes later Tony seemed more calmed, hugged to his favourite super soldier and breathing his scent deep, slowly calming down. Steve’s hands were going up and down his back, kissing his head every few moments.

“Tony, hey… what happened?” The engineer moaned under his breath, hugging Steve tighter “Sweetheart, c’mon… you know you can tell me”

“I… it’s Peter’s Mom, Steve”

“Mary? What’s with her?”

“Baby, she… Richard and she died”

“What?” Steve almost whisper-shouted.

“A plane crash. May, Mary’s sister in law, she just told me… the funeral is in two days”

“Oh my God” Steve murmured, hugging Tony even tighter. He’d met Peter’s Mom a handful of times. Mary Parker was beautiful and smart; really, really smart. She was truly one of the nicest people he’d met, and he totally respected her decision of giving Tony Peter’s full custody. They weren’t the closest of friends, but Steve deeply cared about her. She was the mother of whom he considered his son, after all. To know she and her husband (who was, too, an incredible human being) had perished… it was breaking Steve’s heart. Specially when he thought about Peter, who had just lost two (albeit distant) parents; his Mom and his Step-Dad.

“How do I tell Peter?” Tony asked, “Steve, how do I tell our kid his mother is dead?”

“I don’t know, doll” Steve murmured, kissing Tony’s forehead and closing his eyes, resting his head on top of his “. But we’ll do it together, alright? We can do it together”

Tony nodded, snuggling closer to Steve. Suddenly they heard small footsteps and Peter appeared on the living room, one tiny hand rubbing his eyes. He looked at them with his Bambi eyes full of confusion to see his two parent figures crying. He didn’t like when they cried: it made him sad. 

“Daddy? Steve? What happens?” He asked, going over to them and letting Steve pull him to his lap. He leaned on his broad chest, one hand clutching the shirt he had on. The other one went to pat his Dad’s cheek, playing with his beard “. Daddy?”

“Baby, we have something to tell you,” Tony said, caressing his son cheek. 

“What?”

“Bambi… your Mom and Richard had an accident the other day. They’re gone”

Peter opened his mouth, surprised.

“They’re gone? Like Nanna Maria?”

“Yeah, Bambino”

Peter’s bottom lip quivered, and then the waterworks started. Contrary to what Steve thought, Peter didn’t leave his lap to hug his Dad. He let Steve held him and try to comfort him, with Tony being right by their side. It was in his arms that he’d fallen asleep, and when Steve realised he’d done so he looked at Tony only to discover he was asleep, too. He sighed and decided to not wake up his boys - they had busy days ahead of them, and Steve wanted them to rest. He kissed Tony’s forehead and moved him so he was laying on his chest, next to Peter. He threw a blanket over them and fell asleep.

The next couple of days were as sad and emotional as that first night. Tony was not super close to Mary, but still: she was the mother of his son, and Steve knew Tony cared about her. And Peter… well, he hadn’t been close to his mother, either, but it was his Mom: he was still sad. It didn’t help the fact that Peter had been announced to the world just four months before. Happy had to fight some assholes who were trying to get some shots of Tony Stark’s only son at the Parker’s funerals. Steve didn’t go to help him because he wanted to be there for Tony and Peter. He remembered Tony’s words about telling Peter about Mary’s death. He’d referred to the kid as ‘our kid’, as in Steve and his. Did that mean he felt the same as Steve? The blond was confused. 

Two days after the news broke, and the day of the Parker’s funeral, Steve put Peter to bed after bathing him and changing him into his favourite pyjamas. Peter was completely exhausted and had only needed half of a bedtime story to fall asleep, his little hand patting Steve’s arm, asking him to not leave him ever, _promise me, Steve_. The Captain had nodded, doing a cross over his heart. He also thought about how Peter had never taken to call him Uncle, like he had with Clint, Bruce, Thor, and Auntie for Natasha. Why was he different? 

He sighed, deciding to not think about that, and went to the living room. Tony was there with two mugs in front of him. Steve sat next to him and smiled, accepting the mug when Tony handed it to him.

“Your favourite tea” the engineer smiled “, I think we need it after today’s events”

“It’s a great idea. Thanks, Tony”

“No problem” the engineer nodded. They sipped the tea in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, and then Tony left his mug on the table and grabbed one of Steve’s hand, drawing on the palm with his thumb. Steve felt his hand tingle, and he left his own mug to grab Tony’s hand with his now free hand. Tony smiled to him before opening his mouth “. I just wanted to say: thank you”

“Oh. Why?”

“Really, Steve? You’ve been nothing but incredible the last couple of days. What happened was… a mess, and something huge and emotional and… I didn’t ask you to be involved in any of this, yet you were. And I couldn’t be more grateful”

“Tony, I’m here because I want to be. I wanted to be there for Peter and for you, just like you’d been since I came to live to this Tower”

“Yeah, but… it’s more than that, isn’t it?” Tony asked, looking straight into his eyes. Steve gulped, suddenly nervous.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean… you’ve been living here for more than a year, now. And you’ve become such an important part of our lives, both Peter and mine, that I couldn’t ever imagine our lives without you”

“And I couldn’t imagine my life without both of you either, Tony”

“I’m glad to know that. You know, I never thought I’d trust someone with my son as much as I do with you, but here we are. You’ve been another Dad to Peter for quite a while now… so, to think of Peter as our kid it’s quite easy. I learned a long time ago that it doesn’t matter who your biological Dad is. What it’s important is who is there for you”

“Tony…” Steve murmured, emotional.

“And you’re Peter’s father, like I am. I really hope that doesn’t scare you”

“It really doesn’t. I love Peter so much, Tony. He’s like my kid, too”

“I know. And… it’s not only Peter the one who has been loving to have you here”

“Oh, really?” Steve said, smiling timidly. 

“Yeah. Look, Steve… I think you know what I’m trying to say, or I hope my actions speak louder than my words. I want you here, Steve, and… I want you with me, if that’s possible. Would you… like that, too?”

Steve smiled, nodding.

“I’d love that, Tony” he whispered. Tony smiled and got closer to the blond, cupping his jaw. A few seconds later, their mouths were pressed together in a magical kiss. 

So it hadn’t been Steve’s imagination. What they had was real. And it was just starting. 

 

Steve was not sad. Of course, Steve was not sad. He understood, you know? He was working, Tony was working even more than him (Steve had never thought he’d find someone who was more of a workaholic than he was), they were redecorating their bedroom, and Peter’s (who wanted to have a big boy bedroom), and they were even thinking of remodelling the living room, and maybe the kitchen. And, on top of that, they had Peter’s School Science Fair.Even when science was Tony’s (and Peter’s) forte Steve wanted to help his son in whatever he could. 

So, of course, he wasn’t sad when Tony didn’t remember their second anniversary. He wasn’t even disappointed! He completely understood. Besides, it wasn’t like the day was completely over, right? Only half of it had gone by (without anything, not one surprise from his usually romantic and over the top boyfriend), so they still had time. 

Except, they didn’t. Tony sent him a text to see if he could pick Peter up from school (he was a first grader already, and Steve couldn’t even begin to understand how time had gone by that quickly) because he was going to be in a meeting all day long. Steve had agreed, of course (he loved to pick his son up from school), and had wished his boyfriend good luck on his meeting, feeling utterly disappointed. And now, he had to mask his disappointment to his kid, who was babbling happily in the back of his car. 

“Hey Pete, do you want to go to the park?”

The kid looked at him, tilting his head. Tony said over and over that was something Steve did, too, and the Captain loved to know that. He was not Peter’s biological Dad (and it was obvious Tony was… those two were a lot alike), but he loved when his kid did things he himself was used to doing. 

“Where’s Daddy?” 

“Daddy is at a meeting right now, sweetheart, and he’ll be at it for a while, so I thought we could go to the park, if you want”

“Yes! Can I have ice cream?”

“Of course, baby”

Peter resumed his happy babbling and eventually, Steve put on the song the kid was trying to sign. The rest of the trip to the park was filled with children’s songs sang by a super soldier and a little kid. 

Once they’d made it, Steve bought Peter his precious ice cream (really hoping to not have another episode of hyperactive Peter that night) and started to walk through the park, Peter’s free hand on his much bigger one to make sure his kid didn’t start to go after a pigeon, or a dog (it wouldn’t be the first time - that kid had way too much energy). They had a nice time, and Steve forgot about his worries and even his anniversary for a while. The only downside was when people took pictures of him and Peter without even asking. He didn’t mind people approaching him to ask for a picture (even when he always refused to have Peter in there with them, something Tony and he had agreed on - no fan pics with Peter until he was older-), but to photograph him and his son without their approval… he understood, partially. Steve was a big personality in New York, and even the world, and he was in a relationship with freaking Tony Stark. And Peter… well, he was the son of said Tony Stark, and the step-son of Steve, so he was quite ‘famous’ for his short age. It’s not something Tony and Steve liked, but they’d learned to accept it. 

Steve decided to leave the Park when the sun was getting lower, knowing Peter needed to have a bath and have dinner, so he said goodbye to Ms. Robinson (who had a dog Peter was obsessed with) and picked up his son, who was really tired already), going to his car and putting him on his seat.

“Did you have fun today, kiddo?”

“Yeah! Where are we going now?”

“We’re going home, love,” Steve said, sitting in his own seat and starting the engine “, it’s getting late and you have to have dinner and a bath”

“But I don’t want a bath, I want to play more!”

“Baby, it’s getting late, and you have school tomorrow. Plus, if you didn’t want a bath you shouldn’t have rolled on the grass”

“But…”

“No buts, Pete. If you’re a good boy I’ll tell Daddy we can go to the park this Sunday. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah!” Peter exclaimed, happy again. Although, Steve noticed, something seemed off with the kid. Maybe it was because he was tired, or maybe it was because he’d wanted to spend more time in the park. Before he could ask him, though, Peter had fallen asleep. Deciding it was just tiredness, Steve started their way back home, but he soon discovered it was going to be a long ride. It seemed like every car in Manhattan was in the street in those moments.

More than an hour later (complete madness), Steve was entering the private Tower’s parking, the one reserved for the people who lived there. He woke up Peter and picked him up from the seat, picking also his school bag and throwing it over his shoulder. The kid, half-asleep, didn’t even complain. When he got into the elevator, though, Peter seemed to get nervous. 

“Hey son, everything okay?” Steve asked, worried.

“Yeah! Do you think Daddy will be home now?”

“I don’t know, A Stór, probably. Why?”

“I don’t know”

“Peter…” Steve started to say, kind of worried for his kid. Just in that moment, though, Bruce stepped into the elevator, smiling at the two of them “. Hi, Bruce. Done in the labs?”

“Hey, Steve. Yep, just finished. Do you two come from the park?”

“Yep”

“Oh, that’s fantastic. Did you have a good time, Pete?”

“Yeah, Uncle Bruce! I had an Ice Cream!”

“That’s super cool, Petey. Hey, I wanted to show you something, want to come to my apartment for a moment?”

“Yes! Steve, can I?”

“I don’t know… you have to have your bath and dinner…”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be just a minute” Bruce said, picking Peter from his arms and onto his. He also grabbed Peter’s school bag and smiled to Steve before getting off the elevator, on his floor. Steve sighed and nodded as the doors closed, thinking about giving them twenty minutes before insisting on giving Peter a bath. He knew his kid preferred to play, but it was a school night, and he had to go to bed soon. 

As soon as he stepped into the Penthouse, however, all of those thoughts vanished. The Penthouse was looking incredible, with dozens of candles, and rose petals, and with a soft music coming from the ceiling. Tony was in front of him, dressed in what Steve knew he knew was the Captain’s favourite suit (it didn’t help the tie Tony had made his eyes Pop). The blond opened his mouth surprised at the whole thing, only making Tony smile.

“Well, hello handsome,” he said, going over to him and pecking his lips. That made Steve react, bringing his boyfriend closer and kissing him more deep and longer, before resting his forehead against the engineer’s.

“Hi, love. What’s all this?”

“Well, if you don’t remember today is…”

“Our second anniversary. Yeah, I remembered, but… I don’t know, I thought you forgot. You’ve had a busy last weeks…”

“Yeah, well: I clearly didn’t. I could never forget the first time I kissed the love of my life, or the moment you said yes to be with me… I would never forget the second best day of my life, just below Peter’s birthday, of course”

“Of course. The best day of my life is when I truly met you two”

Tony smiled, pecking his lips one last time and grabbing his hand, bringing them both to a table where dinner was already set: Steve’s favourite dishes. 

“All for you, my dear” Tony murmured on his ear. Steve smiled, leaning in to peck his forehead.

“You didn’t have to, love”

“Of course I did, now sit down,” Tony said, dismissing him. Steve rolled his eyes affectionately and obeyed. Just when Tony was pouring him some wine, he remembered something.

“Babe, what about Peter? He has to have his bath and dinner… tomorrow is a school day!”

Tony laughed, pouring himself some wine as well and grabbing Steve’s hand, kissing it. 

“As much as I love how much you worry about our son, honey, Bruce’s on it”

“Oh… so he didn’t have to show Peter anything, he wanted to babysit for us without telling me about the dinner”

“Exactly. And I told Peter this morning to distract you. It was great that you took him to the park. Did he behave well?”

“He started to run after a dog at one point, and he rolled on the grass to ‘be friends with him’” he said, air quoting their kid. Tony laughed, shaking his head “. So, the little rascal was just trying to distract me, huh?”

“Yep”

“Well, that explains why he was asking about you all the time… I thought something was up with him”

“Well, he’s a terrible liar, so I’m glad you didn’t ask him anything”

“I didn’t, and you know, we should be glad our kid is terrible at lying”

“True” 

Steve laughed, shaking his head. They continued to have a nice dinner, reflecting on how much they’d gone through in the last two years. It’d been amazing, and they were really happy they took the decision of be together, two years before. When the world had found out about them being a couple they’d gone insane, even more when they found out about them already living together. There were a lot of people who said it was not going to work out, with them sharing a home and with a little kid. But Tony and Steve were more than fine: they were used to living together, and to raise Peter together, too. Being together didn’t change it too much, and they had quickly realised they’d been unofficially together more time than they’d even realised. When they told Bruce that the scientist had started to hysterically laugh, which told them Bruce already knew... and probably the rest of the team, too. 

Just when Steve thought dinner was over, DUM-E rolled over with two glass of champagne. Steve smiled and accepted one, accepting Tony’s hand when he handed to him and letting him take him to the living room, where more candles were placed. If he was being honest, he didn’t even know why he’d doubted Tony would remember in the first place. Tony could forget the day he lived in sometimes, but he never forgot about important dates. He sipped champagne with his boyfriend in peace, observing the city below them. He handed Tony the empty glass and smiled when Tony came back and grabbed his hand. 

“I had a real good evening, honey” Steve smiled “, so thank you”

“You deserve it, babe. You deserve everything in the world”

“And so do you, doll”

“Honestly… Steve, these two past years:they’ve been the best I’ve had in all my life. I never thought I could be this happy, but here we are. You came into my life and, like Peter, became my light. You showed me what good partnership is, and what true love feels like. You show me, everyday, how generous, caring, loving, funny, intelligent, dedicated and how freaking incredible you are. I never thought I’d find someone like you, let alone be in a relationship with you and be this happy and stable. I’m pretty sure if I told my twenty year old self this is where I’d be in my future, I would just call myself insane. But, I am where I am and I’m happy to be here… I wouldn’t be anywhere else, right now. Steve, you are the love of my life” Tony said, still holding his hand. Steve felt butterflies all through his body. Tears had started to fall already, and he didn’t even care. The love and happiness he felt in that moment was something he never thought he could feel “, and you’re the father to my son. We made the decision to be together two years ago, and it was one of the best one I’ve ever made. We’ve built a life together and now…” Tony got onto one knee, and reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a ring box. He opened to reveal a beautiful ring, and then he took Steve’s other hand “, now I’m wondering if you want to make it even more official. So, Steve Rogers, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

Steve put one hand over his mouth, trying to stop his smile from tearing his face apart. He nodded more times than he could count and pulled his now fiancé into a hug.

“Yes, Tony, of course I’ll marry you! Oh God, I love you so much”

“I love you, too” Tony smiled, kissing Steve before putting the ring on his finger. Steve looked at it and smiled. 

“Gosh, it’s beautiful. I’m engaged to the love of my life… this is amazing” Steve murmured, letting Tony pull him into another kiss “. Hon, can I put a ring on your finger, too?”

“Like an engagement ring?”

“Yeah”

“I’d love that” Tony smiled. Steve smiled back and kissed his lips.

“I was actually thinking about buying one, and soon” he confessed. Tony smiled, cupping Steve’s jaw. 

“Oh, were you?”

“Of course, love. There’s nothing I’d love more than to be married to you”

“Then we can go to buy a ring whenever you want, my love”

“And we’ll be together forever”

“Forever, baby”

 

Steve was trying to sleep, but it was hard. The storm outside was keeping him awake, and even when he could ask JARVIS to isolate the room his son was in the house, so he didn’t want to mutate his room in fear of not hearing his son if he called him. 

He sighed, knowing he was not reading one word of the book he’d chosen to read that night. The empty side on his bed that belonged to his fiancée was not helping, either. He missed Tony way too much, but Tony was in a work trip he really have to make, and he was going to be gone for a few more days. And that was not all (he wished that was all, dear god). The fact that he and his new found friend Sam had taken down SHIELD not even a month ago was also bugging him… and the fact that he’d seen Bucky again was not helping either. 

He’d been debating on telling his partner for weeks, not knowing what to do. He wanted to search for his lost friend, but he also wanted to tell Tony. He didn’t want him thinking Steve didn’t trust him, but he didn’t know how to tell his future husband that. Sighing, he closed his book and realised his son was leaning on the doorframe, with his favourite teddy on his arms and a pout on his adorable face.

“Peter, baby, hey. What are you doing awake?”

“I couldn’t fall asleep” Peter pouted. Steve smiled gently at his kid and patted the comforter. Peter almost ran to the bed, getting under the sheets and hugging Steve to his body “, the storm is really scary”

“Aw, baby, I know” Steve murmured, kissing his son’s head. At seven, Peter was extremely intelligent but: he was still a little kid, bound to be scared of things like storms. 

“And I also miss Daddy”

“I miss him, too, my little love. But he’ll come home soon, and you know what?”

“What?”

“We can start planning the wedding! Would you like that?”

“Yes! I can’t wait for Daddy and you to be married!”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah! I want my Daddies to be married”

Steve felt butterflies on his stomach. He hugged his son closer to his body and kissed his head. It was funny: he’d considered Peter his son for years, but he’d never actually talked to him about it. Peter was still calling him Steve, like when he’d first met him, even when he knew Steve was his Dad’s partner; hence, his Step-Dad.

“You think of me as your Dad, sweetheart?”

“Of course! You’re my other Dad! You take care of me, and teach me new things, and you love me, just like Daddy does. I want you to marry Daddy so I can call you Papa. You’re my Dad, too!”

“Peter, you’re my son, too. You know that, right?”

“Yeah”

“You can call me Papa whenever you want to, there’s no need for Daddy and I to be married”

“But Flash told me I only have one Dad, and that you’re not my Dad if you and Daddy are not married”

“Oh, honey, that’s not true. You still think of me as your Dad, even if Flash told you I’m not. He doesn’t know us, he can’t tell us if I’m your Dad or not. I’ve been living with you since you were two, baby, and I’ve been with your Dad since you were four. I’ve been your Dad for years, and I hope you know that”

“I do”

“Then don’t be stopped by this Flash guy. If you want to call me Steve then you can call me that, but if you want to call me Papa, then I’d be honoured to, honey”

Peter nodded and snuggled closer to Steve, grabbing a handful of his shirt. He then murmured:

“Can I call you that now?”

“Of course, baby boy”

“Okay… hey”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, Papa”

“I love you, too, son” Steve managed to choke out, smiling through his tears. Those two, the two boys of his life: always making him the happiest. Right in that moment, with his son falling asleep on his arms, he knew: he had to be honest to Tony. Nothing could break their little and perfect family. 

 

Peter had been trying _hard_ to be awake when Tony arrived. He was practically asleep when his Dad did so, but he was awake enough to run towards him and hug him, falling asleep in his arms not even thirty seconds later. Tony laughed when he realised that and went to kiss his fiancé.

“Hi honey”

“Hi, love”

“How have my two favourite boys been? I missed you both a lot”

“We’ve been fine, don’t worry. Peter would answer, but I think he’s dead to the world”

“Yes” Tony laughed, nodding and kissing his son’s curls “, I think so, too. Did he do a lot today?”

“Not necessarily, but he really wanted to be awake when you came home. He really missed you, just like I did”

“Aw, just like I did, too”

“Are you tired from your trip? There’s dinner on the oven if you’re still hungry, and I’m sure JARVIS could start up the bath for you”

“I’m fine, honey. A little bit tired, but fine. I’ll go to put Peter to bed and then we can relax, okay?”

“Okay,” Steve smiled, pecking his fiancé’s lips. Tony smiled one last time and went to his son’s room. With a skill that had taken years, he pulled the sheets back and laid Peter on the bed, tucking him in and kissing his curls. His son woke up a little then, looking at him with sleepy eyes (so, so Bambi like).

“Hey, baby. I’m home already, but it’s late. Go back to sleep and tomorrow I’ll tell you everything about my trip, alright?”

“Okay, Daddy. Where’s Papa?” Peter asked, yawning “He has to read me a bedtime story”

Tony opened his mouth, surprised. Peter hadn’t called Steve Papa in front of him yet, so that was new for him. He blinked to get rid of the happy tears that were in his eyes and kissed his son’s forehead one more time.

“He’s in the living room, hon, and it’s too late for a bedtime story. Tomorrow you can ask him to read two for you, alright?”

“Okay, Daddy”

“Well, then goodnight, Bambi. Love you”

“Love you, too, Daddy” 

Tony made sure his son was comfortable one more time and then closed his door, going to the living room where Steve waited for him, looking tired, too, but with two cups of hot chocolate in front of him and a soft smile on his face. Tony didn’t know when that sort of domestic had become a part of his life but damn, wasn’t he happy it had. 

“You look tired,” Steve said, accepting Tony’s kiss before handing him his mug.

“Thanks babe. And I am, but not as much as you. Did our son get into much trouble?”

“Not more than usual. He’s an angel, and you know it”

“That I do” Tony nodded, sipping some hot chocolate “. Actually… something happened when I went to put Peter in bed”

“Really? What?”

“Well… he referred you as ‘Papa’” Tony said, observing how his fiancé’s face didn’t even show shock - just a tiny smile. He opened his mouth, surprised “. Oh my God, he’s called you that before, hasn’t he?”

“Maybe…”

“And I missed it? Goddamn it”

“I saved it for you, Sir” JARVIS’ voice came from the ceiling. 

“Oh, you’re amazing. Babe, when did it happen?”

“A few days ago. There was a storm going on and Peter couldn’t fall asleep. So, he came to our room and when he did I started to ask him if he was excited about planning the wedding. One thing led to another and he told me he already saw me as his other Dad, but that he didn’t call me anything other than Steve because someone he knows told him he couldn’t do it unless we were married”

“Well, that’s stupid, we don’t need to be married for Peter to call you that. Hell, we don’t even need to be together. You still raised Peter with me, you’re his Dad as much as I am”

“I told Peter that. He understood and then started to call me Papa. And, God, Tony…”

“It feels amazing, doesn’t it?”

“Like I’m on top of the world. I mean, I already thought of Peter as my son, before, but to know he really trusts me and sees me as his Dad… it’s something incredible. And it’s also incredible to think that he really depends on me, on us, you know?”

“Yep. I would say welcome to parenthood, but you’ve been doing for a few years now”

Steve laughed, nodding. He hugged Tony close to his body and enjoyed how loved and peaceful he felt in those moments. However…

“Tony, can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me everything, love”

“Okay. You’re not going to like it though…”

 

Bucky thought the 21st century was weird. Sure, he knew he’d been living in it for a while, but that had been as the Winter Soldier. Now that he was Bucky again -or, well, as close to Bucky he’d been in decades-, he couldn’t even begin to understand basic pop culture. He was working on it though. Steve had helped him a lot, and so had Steve’s future husband, Tony, who was really nice to him even when Bucky had killed his parents. Right now he was in the elevator on his way to the Penthouse, where Steve lived with Tony. The moment he stepped in, however, he noticed someone was in the kitchen. When he got there he saw a little kid, with a head full of brown unruly curls, and also brown eyes, ones that reminded him of Bambi. He was looking back at Bucky with a sandwich on his hand, and he looked more calmed than Bucky was used to, with everyone kind of on the edge around him all the time.

“Hi,” the kid said, bitting into his sandwich.

“Hi”

“Who are you?”

“I’m… James. Who are you?”

“I’m Peter. What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for Steve. What are you doin’ here?”

“I live here”

“Peter, where are you?” Bucky heard Steve say, and the blond was quick to appear, smiling towards the kid “There you are”

“I wanted a sandwich. There’s someone here to see you, though”

Steve looked at Bucky then, and smiled, getting closer to them.

“Hey. Peter, this is Bucky, I talked to you about them”

“Oh… he said his name is James”

“That’s his first name, silly. I told you before. Bucky, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just… I wanted to come to talk. Pop Culture is weird”

“Oh, don’t I know”

“Who is this kid?”

“Oh… he’s Peter, my son”

“Your son?”

“Yeah, mine and Tony’s. A Stór, where’s your Dad?”

“I think he’s at the workshop, Papa”

“Go and get him, tell him we have a visit”

“Okay!” Peter exclaimed, running away with his sandwich still in hand. Steve observed him with a smile, and when he left he looked at Bucky with a smile, too. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming” he tried to apologise. Bucky was in silence for a moment and then…

“You have a kid? Since when?” He asked. Steve smiled and gestured towards the living room. Bucky followed him and sat next to him on the couch “. Is he your son? Like, is he your biological son?”

“He’s Tony’s, actually. But we’ve raised him together”

“How….?”

“Did it all happen? Well, I met Peter after the first battle of the Avengers, in New York. Tony took us to his home, where Peter was, and he introduced us to Peter, who wasn’t even two years old. Deep down I think that’s when I started to fall for Tony, you know? After that day I left for a trip to kind of re-discover America and try to find myself in this new world. I kept talking to Tony and sometimes Peter, and when I was done Tony offered me a place in the Tower. I came to live here when Peter was close to three, and I’ve been living with them ever since. I initially had my own floor, but I quickly moved to the Penthouse. I don’t even remember how it happened, it just did”

“And Tony and you?”

“Well… we started to have this really domestic life, and if you ask the rest of the team they’ll tell you we’ve been actually married for years. We honestly were in love without even realising it, and then, Peter’s Mom and Step-Dad died, when he was four”

“Oh, God. How did they…?”

“Plane crash. Peter was not super close to his Mom… she was an amazing human being, and so was her husband, but she was not made to be a Mom. Still, it was hard for Peter, and for Tony, too. Heck, it was hard even for me. However, the whole thing made me realise some things, and it did the same thing to Tony and we confessed our feelings for each other. We’ve been together since, and Tony proposed at our second anniversary”

“So you’ve been for him for four years, right?”

“Almost. Almost engaged for two years, too”

“And you’ve been living with them for, more or less six years, being a Dad to Peter ever since, huh?”

“Yeah. I can’t believe it’s been that long, but yeah”

“Being a Dad looks good on you, punk”

“Thank you”

“Papa! Dad says he’s coming in a minute” Peter exclaimed, coming back into the room and launching himself at Steve. The Captain laughed and hugged him to his body.

“Alright, you little rascal. You know, Bucky, he was dying to meet you”

“Oh, were you?” Bucky smiled. He was nervous; he didn’t know how to act around kids, but that was Steve’s son. He had to get along with him. The kid nodded, and then looked at his arm.

“You have a metal arm? That is so cool! Can I touch it? Papa, can I?”

“You have to ask your Uncle Bucky, sweetie”

“Can I touch the arm, Uncle Bucky?” The kid asked him, with eyes big enough to resemble some adorable puppy. Bucky’s heart completely melted then, and he nodded, smiling. Stevie’s kid touched his arm carefully and, Bucky realised, he did it exactly like Tony, out of pure curiosity and fascination. He didn’t think Bucky was a freak, he wasn’t repulsed by him. He was attracted to his arm because, like Tony, his mind found beauty in those things. 

“Sorry I took a couple of minutes, I had to finish that project if I didn’t want Pepper to kill me. Nice to see you up here, Buckaroo. Hey love, hey little brat”

Steve laughed, kissing Tony briefly when he leaned in before sitting down and messing with their son’s hair. And… yeah, Bucky thought. He could try to get used to that. 

 

“Is my tie okay?”

“Yeah”

“My hair? Because it looks like a mess”

“Your hair is fine”

“And the rings? You have them, right?”

“Yes, punk, I do,” Bucky said, rolling his eyes “. Stop being so nervous, it’s stupid”

“I’m marrying the love of my life, Bucky. It’s not stupid”

“No, but it’s stupid to be this worried. Tony and you have been together for years, Stevie. You’ve been raising a kid for years, for God’s sake… you two are basically married already, this is just to make it official and celebrate your love with the people in your life that are important to you”

“I know, but…”

“If you say you are scared Tony will run I’ll choke you with my tie. And that’s a promise”

Steve gulped, nodding. Then, three small knocks were heard, and, when the blond gave permission his son entered the room, looking dapper in his suit. Peter was about to turn nine, and Steve couldn’t even began to comprehend how time had flown by that quickly. 

When Peter saw him he opened his mouth, and his eyes started to sparkle. He smiled big and sincere, closing the door behind him.

“Papa, you look like a prince!”

“Aw, thanks A Stór. Weren’t you supposed to be with Uncle Bruce though?”

“Yeah, but he’s with Dad and I was getting bored” the kid shrugged. Steve and Bucky laughed at him, and his Uncle went to his side, kneeling so he was at his level and looking at Steve before returning his gaze back to Peter.

“Pete, your Papa here is nervous, you know?”

“Really?” The kid asked, surprised “Why?”

“Ask him”

“Papa, why are you nervous?” Peter asked Steve, walking until he was in front of him “It’s because you are marrying Dad? You don’t have to be nervous, it’s going to be okay! We did a rehearsal!”

Steve nodded, suddenly not feeling nervous, anymore. His son and Bucky were right: he didn’t have to be nervous. He was marrying the love of his life, and the Dad of his son. Everything was okay, and everything was going to be okay: he just knew. 

“You’re right, A Stór. Now, let’s go, I have to marry your father”

 

It was a normal and peaceful day at the Tower. Snow was falling outside and Bucky had made hot chocolate for the few members of the family who were in the common floor. Christmas decorations were already up, and the soft lights gave the whole place a magic look. It was a perfect and normal day, if it wasn’t for the constant banging that could be heard coming from the kitchen. 

That particular banging came from Peter Stark. The now teenager, who was being watched by three amused Clint, Natasha and Bucky, was sitting in the kitchen table, laptop and notebook opened in front of him and banging his head against the notebook. 

It had been a few years since the Stark-Rogers wedding, and Peter was now fifteen, and a superhero of his own, to his parent’s desperation. They hadn’t loved their son becoming Spiderman but they had learned to accept that was a part of Peter, now. They knew their kid enough to know Peter was not going to change. Right in that moment, Tony and Steve were out shopping for Christmas presents, and Bucky had been asked to look over Peter, even when the teenager kept saying he could do just fine by his own, as much as he liked spending time with his Uncle Bucky. And it had been going well; he’d spent the morning playing video games with him, having lunch with Bucky, Natasha and Clint. They had seen a lunch afterwards and then Bucky had made hot chocolate for all. It was then when Peter had picked up his laptop and a notebook, and had started to work on something the other heroes had no clue about. He’d been banging his head for almost two full minutes now.

“Ugh…” the teenager groaned, making his Uncles and Aunt snicker.

“What’s wrong, little one?” Bucky asked, finally feeling some pity for his nephew. 

“I don’t know what to get my Dad for Christmas” he complained, finally stopping the banging. Natasha raised an eyebrow and went to Peter’s side, picking an apple and a knife.

“Which one?” She asked, starting to peel it.

“Steve” Peter sighed, drinking the rest of his chocolate and cracking his knuckles. Clint scoffed, getting closer to Peter as well. Bucky shrugged and went with them, too, all for of them sitting at the table.

“C’mon, Steve is the easy one” the arched complained “, Tony on the other hand… he’s the difficult one. He has everything already!”

Peter rolled his eyes at his Uncle, but didn’t refute, knowing Clint was right. However, he knew what to get his Dad, and he was going to meet Ned the next day to go and buy it. His Dad was easy for _him_ : they liked the same stuff, and Peter could give him any thing related to science and Tony was good to go. And technically, yeah, his Papa was like that, too… but, he didn’t know _why_ , nothing felt right, not any idea. 

“I agree with Clint,” Bucky said, smiling gently to his nephew “, Stevie is happy with about everything, kiddo. You could get him a figure of the Statue of Liberty and he’d be over the moon”

“Yeah, kiddo” Clint insisted “. You could gift him whatever as long as there’s a ‘love, your son’ at the end”

Peter opened his eyes wide open then, looking at his Uncle with a smile slowly taking over his face. 

“Wait… oh, my God, that’s it! I know what to get my Papa, thank yo so much Uncle Clint!” He said, standing up and grabbing his laptop and notebook, running to the elevator and going up to the Penthouse. 

“Uh… you’re welcome?” Clint asked, even when Peter wasn’t there. He then looked at Bucky and Natasha “. What did I do?” 

“No idea,” Bucky said, scratching his head “I was supposed to babysit him, wasn’t I?”

“Eh, he’ll be fine”

“Idiots. You both are idiots”

 

Christmas Day had arrived finally to the Tower. It was cold outside, more snow falling and practically no one on the streets. The Avengers family were already in the Penthouse, were they had chosen to spend the Christmas Day. The room was full of presents and Christmas decorations, and, with the hot chocolate just served, everyone was ready to start to open their presents. Peter was nervous about the one he had prepared for his Papa. He’d asked his Dad for help, and he’d been over the moon with him, but that didn’t make him less nervous. He had been distracted by the presents from his family, loving everything they’d given him and also loving the reactions of his family when they opened his presents. So far he’d given the perfect presents, but he was nervous about the last one: the one for his Papa.

“Alright, one last present” Tony smiled, a sweater Peter had given him with a science pun already on. He exchanged glances with Peter and winked, and Peter’s heart instantly started to beat faster “. Steve, for you, from Peter”

“Oh,” Steve smiled, accepting the box Tony was handing him. He had been weirded out by not having anything from his son; not because he wanted something from him… he was his Dad, and that was enough for him. Still, he knew his son, and Peter loved to give Christmas presents, so it was weird for him to not receive any. He could see his son a bit nervous, and that weirded him out. However, he still ripped the paper off and opened the box. Inside there were a few different things, so he picked the first one: a Mug with Captain America’s colours that said ‘World’s Best Papa’ that had him smiling (he was going to drink his next beverage in that mug), and a shirt that had the same quote, only over a drawing of his shield. Under the shirt, he saw a frame that was divided by two, and he felt himself getting emotional at the sight: the picture to the left was the first one that they’d taken together, when Peter wasn’t even three. It was the day he’d moved to the Tower, when Tony had gone to get their food and Steve had been left with Peter. The kid had started to play with him, and Steve had been having a good time when he’d heard Tony softly laughing. He’d looked back at his engineer to see him with a camera, smiling softly at them. The picture, then, was just Steve playing with Peter, both smiling big and having a good time. The second picture, to the right, was a picture they had taken just the week before, when they’d gone ice skating, in a Papa-Son outing. Tony was running some last minute errands, so Steve and Peter had figured they could be spending some time out in the city. They were smiling in that picture, having a good time with one another. They weren’t related by blood, but they sure looked like father and son in that picture, and it warmed Steve’s heart. And, seeing the both pictures side by side, Steve couldn’t believe how many time had gone by, and how big his little boy had gotten. To see those two pictures surely made him emotional, and he knew he was going to put that frame on his desk, in his office. 

He was going to thank his son for the wonderful gift, but then he saw there was something else underneath it. There was a big envelope, and then a letter folded in two. He picked that one first, not being aware of Peter observing him silently. The rest of the family were chatting between themselves, some of them sneaking glances towards their direction every few moments. Steve unfolded the letter and started to read, recognising his son’s handwriting instantly.

_Dear Papa,_

_I am not gonna lie, I had a hard time figuring out what to give you for Christmas. Somehow, nothing really felt_ right _, you know? It didn’t felt like a good present, or a present good enough for you. To me, you deserve the world._

_Papa, you’re my hero, and it’s not because you are an Avenger. As much as I think you do an amazing job as Captain America, I care about Steve Rogers more. You’ve been there for me and for Dad since I was a little kid, just a toddler. You read bedtime stories to me, you took care -still do- when I was sick, you tried to cook me breakfast every morning and made me hot chocolate when I wasn’t feeling well._

_You showed me how to be brave, and how to be kind. You taught me that actions speak louder than words, sometimes. You’ve been, alongside Dad, the best role model I could ever asked for. I’m so lucky that you found me, us, and that you became my father._

_However, there’s something missing. Yes, you are my Papa, and you will always be, no matter what: I will always be your son, your little boy, but… I realised, the other day, there’s still something to do. I talked to Dad about it, and he’s fine with it - he was over the moon with the idea, actually -. Papa, you’re my father. And I think… I think the only thing missing is a paper that says exactly that. You’ve been my Papa for more than a decade, but… will you be my legal father?_

_Papa, will you adopt me and make me the happiest kid alive?_

_Hopefully to be,_

_Peter Stark-Rogers”_

Steve opened his mouth, shocked. He looked at his son, who was looking right at him, and then at his husband, who was looking at him too, with a sweet smile on his face and tears on his eyes. He looked back at Peter, who was also tearing up, looking incredibly nervous. Why would he be nervous, though? Steve could never, _ever_ , refuse. 

“Are you serious?” He asked his kid. Their family was looking at them now, all silent. They didn’t know what Peter had gifted his father, but Tony looking at Steve and Peter, and those two emotional (Steve was full-on crying), made them really curious “. Do you want me to adopt you?”

Their family opened their mouths, surprised, and soon they were smiling at looking at the pair. It was about time, they knew. Steve had been Peter’s father for years, and it was time they made it official.

“Yeah,” Peter said, his voice almost a whisper “. You’ve been my Papa for years, and I… I want to make it official, you know? There’s nothing I’d love more than to be your legal son”

“And I’m totally okay with it, by the way,” Tony chirped in “. It’s something we should’ve done a long time ago”

“So, Papa, do you want to adopt me?” Peter asked again, this time out loud. Steve smiled then, happy tears still scrolling down his face, and carefully left the box at his side and went to hug his son tight to his body, kissing his hair and feeling incredibly happy.

“Of course I’ll do, son. Nothing would make me happier than being your legal father”

Peter laughed back into his ear, and they stayed like that until Tony added himself to the hug. Slowly, all of the family hugged them, too. By the time Steve was sitting again in the sofa, Peter was right next to him, like glue.Tony was at the other side, hand resting on his knee and he let Peter pick the box again, grabbing the folder and giving it to his father. Steve took it with a smile, and opened it to reveal the adoption forms: all the signatures were already there, and only his was missing.

“You only have to sign, and Dad will take care of the rest” Peter smiled.

“I only have to sign, and then you’ll be my legal son?”

“Yep”

“Honey, just a signature and Peter will officially have two Dads, and his name will be Peter Benjamin Stark-Rogers”. Tony said, smiling as well. Steve smiled back and grabbed a pen, that was also in the box,and quickly signed the adoption forms. Then he kissed his son’s forehead and pecked his husband’s lips. That was it. He was Peter’s father… legally.

 

Steve yawned, sipping coffee and opening one magazine that was in the kitchen table. His husband was making breakfast, and he was pretty sure their son was taking a shower. Steve, on the other hand, had been drawing until late at night, and now he was sleepy - way more than usual. 

He was just flipping through the pages, not really paying attention, when a picture of Tony, Peter and himself stopped him. It was from two days before, when they’d gone to a Broadway show and to have dinner in one new restaurant in Manhattan. They were dressed kind of casual, chatting with each other and laughing - looking normal and unbothered by the presence of the paparazzi. Steve went to read the article and then - then a huge smile was almost tearing his face in half. It was stupid, and he knew, but he could read ‘ _Family night: Stony and their son take the city_ ’. He knew it was stupid: he knew it was just a headlining. But… well, before it had always been ‘Stony (sometimes Superhusbands) and Tony’s son’. Steve knew it didn’t mean he wasn’t Peter’s father, but… it felt nice for be recognised, to read a ‘their son’ instead of ‘Tony’s’. Before he could open his mouth, however, his son arrived to the kitchen, hair still damp and with some adorable curls forming. He skipped happily to Tony’s side and peeked at what he was cooking. Tony pecked his son’s forehead and let Peter kiss his cheek. The teenager then went to his Papa, also kissing his cheek and hugging him, before sitting down in front of him. Suddenly, Steve didn’t feel the need to say anything. Peter was a Stark-Rogers now, and Steve was legally his father, alongside Tony, but… he’d been for far longer. And he would always be grateful for saying yes to living in the Tower… because he had met the loves of his life. He’d found his family. His happiness. And he would always be thankful for that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> So, I really hope you guys loved the one-shot! I had a really fun time writing it, and I'm already thinking of a new one, so it won't be that long until I post again!
> 
> That being said, PLEASE leave a comment telling me your thoughts on this one shot and if you have any ideas for future ones! Also, leave kudos if you can/want to! (PS: omg, how amazing was Captain Marvel AND the trailer(s) for Endgame and Far From Home?)
> 
> Bye!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! If you have an idea you can tell me and I can write it!
> 
> Part 2 will be coming Friday night!


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